The Princess and the Prince
by Khmerfujoshi
Summary: AU:Going to an all girls school isn’t easy. Especially when you’re given the title ‘Prince’ by your classmates. Hinata finds herself dealing with girls vying for her affection and a certain roommate who isn’t at all what she thought she was. SasuxHina
1. The Beautiful Transfer Student

**Summary: _Going to an all-girls school isn't easy. Especially when you're given the title 'Prince' by your classmates. Hinata finds herself dealing with girls vying for her affection and a certain roommate who isn't at all what she thought she was. SasuxHina, HakuxHina one-sided SasuxSaku.(pairings may change except for the main one)._**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto-blah, blah, blah.**

**Warning: Grammar mistakes, incorrect use of language, and shoujo-ai, but the main pairing is PERFECTLY (straight!)**

**A/N: For those who have read She's Mine, I would like to let you know that the story will be put on hold. This is due to the current problem my computer is generating and it seems I can't get a hold of any of the files, plus, I really do not want to start rewriting the supposedly latest chapter as it was long and I had actually put my mind into it. For now, I'll be using my cousin's computer to upload stories out of boredom.**

**Please read my story! **

* * *

**Chapter 1: The Beautiful Transfer Student**

"Onee-sama, please accept this gift!"

"Onee-sama, please accept mine as well!"

"Me too!"

"No, take _my_ gift Onee-sama!"

_This is bad_.

"Onee-sama, this is for you!"

"I special ordered these flowers just for you Onee-sama!"

_**Real **bad!_

"A-Ano...for what?" I asked. I held up my hands in an attempt to ward off the gifts being shoved in my face. This was something that happened weekly-daily at the most. I should've been used to it by now, but I still wasn't.

"OUR LOVE FOR YOU OF COURSE!!!" they all squealed.

It was hard, but I forced a smile and politely declined their offer.

"I'm sorry, but...I really haven't done anything to deserve these gifts, so...I can't just accept them like that." I bowed as low as I could. To be honest, I didn't care much for something given to me by people I hardly knew.

"No Onee-sama, don't do that!"

"Please raise your head!"

"We won't force the gifts on you anymore!"

Straightening my posture, I made sure to look every girl in the eye. "Thank you. I appreciate the thought, but it's really troublesome to receive them everyday. Would it be possible for all of you to stop this?"

They all stared at me for a long time before nodding reluctantly, their cheeks flushed.

"H-Hai."

A wave of relief washed over me. "Thank you very much, I'm glad you understand." I smiled at them, their faces becoming much redder than before.

_Are they sick? _

"KYAAAAAAHHHH!"

I covered my ears, the inside of my head practically rattling itself. In a few seconds, they had dashed down the hallway out of sight, leaving a trail of dust behind.

"What...was that?"

Just then, I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned around to see Sakura. She grinned at me teasingly.

"I see you're just as popular as ever, _Ouji-sama_."

"D-Don't call me that!"

She eyed me questioningly. "Hmm? Why not? It suits you perfectly. You're a bit over the average girl height, you have a short hair-cut, and you also have that gentle and polite manner towards everyone." Tucking a strand of light-pink hair behind her ear, she added "Not to mention that beautiful face," with a wink.

I covered my so-called face, my embarrassment level at its peak. "S-Sakura...please..."

"Aww, you're embarrassed?" Her jade-green eyes sparkled with amusement. "You're so cute," she said, pinching my cheek.

I gently pushed her hand away, rubbing the side of my cheek. "I am not."

_Besides...I'm nothing compared to you_.

Haruno Sakura, a close friend of mine and in the same year and class. Her soft pink hair reached her back, sometimes tied back into a loose ponytail. She had beautiful green eyes and a face as well. She was shorter than me by a bit, but nonetheless looked elegant and ladylike, unlike myself.

I sighed, wishing that someday my hair would grow out to be long.

I felt a slight peck on my cheek. I turned my head to see Sakura who had just given me a kiss. She gave a lovely smile.

"Shall we go home?"

I nodded and returned the smile.

**

* * *

**

The next morning, I woke up exhausted.

"Even in my dreams they chase me."

I sat up and stretched my arms, yawning. Warm sunlight poured into the room, brightening everything. The crystal figurine sitting on the top of my dresser reflected a rainbow on the wall, the colors vibrant.

As usual, I followed my daily routine. Wash face, brush teeth, brush hair, and get dressed and run to school on time before the gates closed.

I looked over myself, examining the uniform I wore. It had the traditional white sailor collar with a thin, sky-blue line running down it and a red ribbon tied underneath. The skirt, blue as well, remained just above the knees, the pleats neatly folded.

_This doesn't suit me at all. Sakura on the other hand..._

I shook my head to clear the thought. Now wasn't the time to be envious of someone else.

_I'm a bit glad that I don't have a roommate yet. _

Glancing down at my wristwatch, I practically tripped over my own feet. "It's already this late?"

Tripping down the stairs on my way, I ran out the door, slamming it shut.

**

* * *

**

"Onee-sama, good morning!"

"Onee-sama, you look wonderful as usual."

"Good morning Onee-sama!"

"Good morning," I greeted with a smile, waving to the several girls who had called out to me.

They all went into over-drive mode again, screaming excitedly. Not to be rude, but they were kind of weird.

After having been greeted by almost every person on campus, I dragged myself over to my desk and sat down, resting my head on the smooth surface top. It felt nice and cool.

"So tired..."

In gym today, we played basketball with the class separated into two teams. Not to brag, but dribbling the ball past the other team and shooting it in was rather easy. I wouldn't call it exactly fair however since I had the advantage of being taller and my limbs longer.

_I really am a freak. Not to mention I almost got trampled over by everyone after making that first shot. _

This thought remained in my head until the bell for the last class of the day had rung. My classmates all filed in, taking their seats, followed by the teacher.

She was a strict woman with almost graying hair in a bun and a very crude attitude towards others. This lead to her being disliked by many. In my opinion however, she didn't seem as bad as they made her out to be. In fact, she was rather nice.

Standing behind her desk, she flipped open a notebook and scanned the contents before raising her head.

"I would like everyone to pass their homework up to the front please," she announced in a rather impatient voice. "I will be collecting them for your final grade this semester."

_Ah, that must be the one on research of American historical figures. Where did I put it again? _

Digging through my school bag, all that came out were textbooks and a few old papers.

_I could've sworn I had it!_

I frantically flipped through every textbook to see if had placed the papers in any of them, which by the way was a bad habit of mine. I found nothing.

_Oh no, what am I going to do? Nii-san's going to kill me if I don't get a passing mark in this class! And it's my worst one too! _

"Has everyone passed there papers forward?" came sensei's voice.

I looked around to see the other girls who looked as though they hadn't done the assignment. It was a relief to see that I wasn't the only one who didn't have it. Right now wasn't the time to be happy about this fact however. Sensei was as far as everyone knew, mad.

"To think that my students had not even bothered to complete this simple assignment," she muttered, massaging her forehead, as if to calm herself down. Facing the whole class, she said "You are all Sakuragi Academy students. It is your job to represent this school as well-mannered and educated young ladies. Being unprepared for class however will most likely bring shame upon the academy and this is something I will not let be taken lightly." Her eyes roamed the classroom like a beast waiting to attack its prey. "To think that all of you are looked up to by your kouhai..._utterly_ impossible! If it's like this, I may have to fail every one of you."

There were protests and whining throughout the room. I didn't listen since all I heard was the word "fail."

The minute I stood up, everyone immediately quieted down, staring at me. That went for sensei as well.

"Fuuyuki-sensei, if possible could you extend the assignment date? I'm afraid I've misplaced it and if so, I would like to re-write it. This may seem selfish, but I would rather not fail your class."

"H-H-Hyu-Hyuga-s-san?!?!?!" Sensei brought her hands to her face, her eyes wide, cheeks flushed red. "Y-Y-You need m-more ti-time?"

I nodded.

"Yes. I'm also very sorry since sensei may have other things to do as well."

"N-N-N-Not at all!" Clearing her throat, she said "Very well then. I will...extend the date by two days, but I expect it to be done by then."

There was cheering throughout the room.

Directing my gaze towards sensei, I couldn't help but smile, relieved at the thought of not having to fail. "Thank you, Sensei."

At this, Sensei became horribly red-faced and ran out of the room stammering "S-Self S-S-Studying!"

The class cheers immediately turned into squeals.

"Hinata Onee-sama, you're so wonderful!"

"True! To think that you were able to get sensei to extend the homework date, I want you to become my onee-sama even more!"

"Onee-sama doesn't just belong to you, she's everyone's!"

Fighting ensued. Catfights that is. I quietly slipped out of the room to escape any sort of damage that would be done in there.

Once out in the hall and away from the door, I breathed a sigh of relief. "Maybe I should've gone to a public school instead." Leaning against the wall for support, I slid down onto my knees, tired from today's activities.

_It seems that all I do at school is run around_. "So tired..."

I immediately regained my senses when the sounds of footsteps were heard. And they were coming-towards me.

"Excuse me, could you help us? We've seemed to have lost our way around here," came a gentle voice.

I looked up and nearly had my eyes bulge out. I had always regarded Sakura as the most beautiful and feminine girl in the whole school, but she may have not been the only one after all.

Standing before me were two _very _pretty girls in western-style dresses with lace. One had waist-length brown hair and eyes. Her smiling at me only made her look more like an angel. The other girl had black hair and eyes. She looked upset, but nonetheless remained pretty. They both had the kind of smooth and fair skin a ton of girls would kill for, plus the slim body figures.

"Ano...are you alright?"

I stood up, embarrassed. Gaping was rather un-lady like. "I-I'm sorry. Was there s-something you needed?" After standing up, it just then occurred to me that the three of us were exactly the same height.

_Wow. I didn't think there'd be any other girls than me this tall._

"Ah, yes. Could you please help us find the main office? We're here to give in our student applications," said the brown-haired girl.

"Are the two of you new here?"

"That should be obvious by now," said the other girl, her voice filled with impatience.

"O-Oh! I-I'm sorry...I didn't mean..." _She's right. It was stupid of me to ask._

A grunt came from the dark-haired girl. She held the front of her stomach as if in pain.

I was about to ask her if she was okay, but the brown-haired girl spoke first. "Please don't mind her; _Setsuna_-chan is just a little grumpy ever since she found out about the transfer."

"Setsuna...?"

"Ah, we forgot to introduce ourselves. Well, since you already know, this is Uchiha Setsuna. My name is Shirou Haku."

"I-I'm Hyuga Hinata."

"Hinata? That's such a cute name! Would you mind if I called you Hinata-chan?" asked Shirou-san.

I shook my head. "It's fine."

"Oh, you can call me Haku by the way."

"Haku...chan?"

"No, _just_ Haku."

"Okay then, Haku...san."

"Yay! We finally made our first friend here!"

"_You_ did," muttered Uchiha-san.

In an instant, she crouched over, holding her stomach once again.

"U-Uchiha-san, are you alright?"

"Don't worry about her Hinata-chan, she's just on her period right now," Haku-san said smiling.

"O-Okay."

"Now how about taking us to the office?"

**

* * *

**

It was almost eight by the time I returned to the dorm. Once inside my room, I threw myself onto my bed, sinking into its softness.

After meeting them, Haku-san insisted on me showing the both of them around campus, which took nearly three hours considering how large the campus was.

"Now I'm _really_ tired."

_But...she was really nice. It'd be nice to have someone as bright as her as my roommate_.

Uchiha-san on the other was a bit...different. During the tour, I tried bringing up interesting topics and asking questions about her, but in return received a cold shoulder or glare.

_Kind of scary_.

Just as I was about to drift off into sleep, I could hear the doorknob being turned and the door pushed open. Fully awakened, I sat up to see the last person on my mind.

Uchiha-san carefully stepped in, but immediately froze on the spot the minute she saw me.

"Is this...room 314?" she asked rather grimly.

I nodded.

She hung her head low as if it was the worst thing that could happen to her.

"U-Um are you..."

"I'll be your roommate from now on." She bowed. "Please take care of me."


	2. My New Roommate

**A/N: Thanks for all your reviews everyone! I read all the comments and would like to say I really appreciate your kind and supporting words. Especially the long ones. I would like to take this time to answer a few questions. **

**Yes, Sasuke and Haku are dressing as girls. As for why will be revealed sooner or later. Don't take the reason seriously though. **

**Yes, Hinata is the boyish girl. She can be viewed as pretty and handsome. All the girls love her because she's the princely gentle and kind type. Have trouble visualizing? If so, think of Fruits Basket, Sohma Yuki. **

**Yes, I have read W-Juliet, but that doesn't mean I'm gonna copy anything off of it. I just wanted to try the switch of Sasuke going to an all girl's school instead of Hinata going to an all boys. **

**And while you all read this chapter, I'd just like to let you know that Sakura is NOT a lesbian. Also, I won't be updating till the weekends. **

**Have fun reading!**

* * *

**Chapter 2:** **My New Roommate**

"R-Roommate?"

_Whoa, this seemed...a bit sudden_.

"Yeah, is that a problem?" Uchiha-san asked. She set down the large bag slung over her shoulder onto the other bed beside mine.

"N-No. Of course not."

"Then stop talking already, I have a headache." She rubbed the side of her forehead tiredly.

"Y-Yes."

_Wow, I never expected Uchiha-san of all people to end up as my roommate. It's kind of a shock._

"Well, if you need any help for anything at all, please, don't hesitate to ask."

She nodded in reply. Unpacking her clothes, she went over to the dresser with folded pants and shirts in hand. "Are you by chance...using this dresser?" There was a hint of reluctance in her voice.

"O-Oh. My belongings are on the left side. You're more than welcome to use the right side of it."

"...Thanks."

Pulling open the drawer, she quickly placed the clothes in and shut it closed, as if not wanting to touch them anymore.

_Strange_.

The dark-haired beauty climbed onto the bed and threw the covers over herself.

_She's going to sleep...in **that** dress?_ "Um, Uchiha-san-?"

"If possible, I would like to get some rest."

Sighing, I found it best not to say anything. She didn't seem to like me much anyways.

I got up to turn off the light switch and went back to bed.

_I must've left a bad first impression on her. _

**

* * *

**

The following day, Uchiha-san was introduced to the class. It shouldn't have been that much of a shock, but she looked amazingly stunning in the uniform as she stood in front of everyone. Her figure, face, and long hair only made her seem more like a model.

There were hushed whispers all around the room.

"My goodness, she's so beautiful!"

"She looks like a princess from the feudal era."

"Look how smooth her skin is!"

"Such beautiful eyes!"

"Her hair's so shiny!"

The comments had felt like several knives stabbing my heart. I had a much more serious inferiority-complex than I thought I did. However, I couldn't disagree with what they said at all.

_She's **too** pretty. Almost like one of those Japanese porcelain dolls_.

Uchiha-san immediately caught my stare. I timidly waved to her, but she turned her head away, as if to ignore me.

_She really does hate me. _

"Uchiha-san, there's an empty seat beside Hyuga-san," said sensei. "Please raise your hand," he called to me.

_What? _"Y-Yes."

Uchiha-san looked dumbfounded as well. The expression on her face gave away that she wasn't all too happy with the seating arrangement either.

Taking her seat, she muttered to herself "Just my luck."

_Well it's not like I **wanted** us to sit next to each other! _I turned myself the other way, not wanting to meet her face. Even if she didn't like me, she didn't have to be so blunt about it. This was the first time I'd ever felt anger towards another girl. And it wasn't because she chased me, asked me to make her my sister or presented me with unwanted gifts.

It was because she plain didn't like me and showed it.

_It may be best not to talk to her after all. _

**

* * *

**

"There's actually someone that doesn't love the great Ouji-sama?" Sakura asked, looking in the mirror while brushing her hair. She turned around on the stool, facing me. "What's the problem then? I thought you didn't like having all that attention?"

"I know, but...there's something about her that really bothers me."

Chuckling, Sakura said "She must be _really_ beautiful for you to be interested. Did you fall for her at first sight already?"

_What the-?_ "I-It's not l-like th-that!"

"Oh? Then what _is_ it like?" Walking over, Sakura pushed me down onto the bed, hovering above me. Her soft pink hair gently brushed my face, its sweet scent intoxicating.

"Sakura..."

"It's because of your naiveté that you wouldn't know, but...whenever I see you with other girls," she leaned in closer towards me. "-I get **_really_** jealous."

During this exact time, the door to my room was opened.

I sat up a bit to look over Sakura's shoulder. "H-H-Haku-san?!?!?"

She stood there red-faced, her nose bleeding.

"U-Um, am I...disturbing anything?" she asked, wiping at the blood with a handkerchief.

"N-N-No, of c-course n-n-not! We were just-"

Getting off, Sakura made her way over to the door and blew me a kiss.

"We'll continue this another time, _Ouji_-sama." She then left, closing the door on her way out.

Haku-san and I were now alone. There was an awkward silence.

"So um...are you...?"

I furiously shook my head. "I-I'm not!"

"Oh, okay then." She smiled before walking over to me. "Mind if I sit down?"

I moved aside. She took that as the answer and dropped onto the edge, causing the bed to move slightly.

"Setsuna-chan sure is lucky. I wish I could've been your roommate."

"U-Um..." _How should I ask her?_

"Did you call me over to _ask_ about Setsuna-chan?"

My heart nearly leaped at this.

"Wh-How did you know?"

She shrugged. "I can guess that much. Especially since you both share a room and the same homeroom teacher with your desks _right_ next to each other. That's what _she_ told _me _at least."

"Oh, well...what I wanted to ask was um..."

"What is it?"

I cast my gaze downward and reluctantly met her eyes. "Does she..._hate_ me?"

"_Hate_ you?" she laughed. Why would you think that?"

I wanted to give her an answer, but I honestly didn't know where to start from. She sighed and patted my head gently.

"Well, if you really want to know, it might be best to ask her for yourself. She may look scary at first, but...she's just a little confused when it comes to things socially involved."

"You mean...she's shy?"

"Well...something like that. Just try some female bonding activities," she suggested.

**

* * *

**

That night when Uchiha-san got back, she went right to bed, in her **uniform**.

I was about to open my mouth to speak, but she beat me to it.

"Please don't talk for now. I'm really tired. All I heard today were girls screaming and asking me a bunch of stupid questions. If you don't want to be one of them then don't say _anything_."

**

* * *

**

When morning came, I got up and went through the usual morning routine. While in the middle of changing, I heard a loud thump. Turning around, I saw Uchiha-san on the ground, her legs positioned in a very un-lady like manner. Her face was unusually red.

_Did she just fall off the bed?_

"Are you alright?" I was about to go over to her, but she shooed me away with her hand and covered her face with the other.

"P-Put on a shirt!"

"Huh?" _Why would that matter? We're both girls here aren't we?_ I decided to ignore her and went over anyways. Her face turned two shades redder. "Are y-you even listening?" she cried.

Bending down, I leaned in to place our foreheads against each other. "You look really sick though. Do you have a fever?"

She pulled away instantly, covering her face. Without warning, she jumped past me and ran straight out of the room.

"U-Uchiha-san?"

_Now she's **running** away?_

That was the limit. I couldn't take it anymore. Pulling on a summer top, I ran out and chased after her as well.

She didn't seem to notice until I had caught up with her.

We were now outside on the courtyard. She sat at the large fountain, splashing her face with water. I walked over and sat beside her. Like a frightened cat, she was ready to run once again. I grabbed her by the wrist to stop her.

"P-Please stay!"

Surprised by my sudden outburst, she stood there, her body less tense.

"Fine, but at least let go of me."

I released my grip on her.

"So...what is it? She asked.

"Um..._me_."

"What?"

"D-Do you..._hate_ me?"

There was a bit of silence. She sighed, sounding exasperated. "If I hated you, then I wouldn't even bother talking to you."

"B-But the way you've been acting-"

She cut me off. "It's not...what you think. I just...have a lot on my mind, but that doesn't mean I hate you or anything," she added quickly.

"R-Really?"

"Yes, so will you stop making that face already? It makes it look like I'm the bad guy."

I don't know why, but the feeling of happiness and relief hit me all at once. Jumping up, I threw my arms around Uchiha-san and hugged her.

"Wh-Whoa! Wha-What are you doing?"

"Sorry, I'm sorry. I just feel so happy right now." Her body relaxed then. She patted the top of my head awkwardly as if whether she should have done it or not.

"You're...so weird."

**

* * *

**

After clearing everything up, it felt like the weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I jumped onto my bed hugging the animal shaped bolster.

_She **doesn't** hate me! _

I felt like hugging every person in sight right now to share my happiness with, but decided to dismiss the thought since I was in my room.

"But...I wonder where Uchiha-san is." She had said that she had something to do and wouldn't be returning until late.

"_**Don't** wait up for me, got it_?" was what she said.

_Best not to make her anymore frustrated. _

Closing my eyes, I fell asleep faster than usual.

**

* * *

**

It was around two in the morning when I woke up. I rubbed my eyes to see light coming from underneath the bathroom door.

_Uchiha-san? _

The sound of running water could be heard. I was now fully awake.

_Why is she taking a shower so late at night_? _Then again, maybe she only wants to do it when i'm asleep._

If possible, I wanted to deepen our relationship.

"_Just try some female bonding activities."_ Haku-san's words echoed in my head.

_Oh, I know! I could help her wash her back! So this is what she meant when she said female bonding activities. _

While undressing, I wrapped a towel around myself and grabbed my bathing supplies. When Uchiha-san had first come, she didn't seem to have any while she was unpacking. This was a good chance to help her out. I smiled to myself, happy with the thought.

As quietly as I could, I opened the door and stepped in, fresh steam greeting me.

I made my way towards the shower and slid open the glass door fogged with steam.

"Uchiha-san, I've come to wash your back for you!" The words in my throat suddenly died out at the sight.

The person was beautiful.

The person had the same face as Uchiha-san.

This person however, was a male.

Everything suddenly went dark from there on.


	3. She's a Boy

**Chapter 3:** **She's a Boy**

_I think...I just saw something I wasn't supposed to see._

As if in water, I could faintly hear the voices of people talking. My head hurt badly.

"How could you let her _see_ you?"

"It's not my fault, I thought she was asleep."

"It's called locking the door, you idiot."

"Don't call me an idiot you transvestite-Ugh!"

"_What_...did you just say?"

"N...Nothing."

"I thought so."

"So...what do we do now?"

"I'm not sure, should we try blackmailing?"

"I prefer a threat."

"Forget that, you're too violent."

"Well, then what do you suggest we do?"

I immediately sat up after having heard enough of the conversation.

Haku-san and Uchiha-san stood there, staring straight at me. The looks on their faces said "Uh-oh."

"Haku-san, why are you-ow!" I winced at the sharp pain that shot through my head.

_Another blackout? _

"Are you okay, Hinata-chan?" Haku-san sat down on the edge of the bed and rubbed the side of my head tenderly. "Setsuna-chan told me you fainted, so I-"

Hearing the name, my gaze went to Uchiha-san. "Y-You're a b-boy!" I pointed my finger at him, trembling. The memory was clear as day in my mind. The flat chest, clinging wet hair, and everything else that I saw. My head was ready to explode.

"It's rude to point," Uchiha-san said, pulling off the wig. He ran a hand through his slightly spiked hair, causing it to be swept back only to fall down in place. "Too bad, looks like she remembered."

Sighing, Haku-san placed a hand on my shoulder. The once gentle presence suddenly became ominous. A chill ran through my body.

"HI-NA-TA-_chan_," she said in an overly-sweet voice. "Would it be possible for you to keep this a secret?"

"Haku-san? B-But why are you helping him?"

"Well…that _should_ be quite obvious," she said, pulling at the buttons of her blouse only to reveal a flat chest. "-since _I'm_ a boy as well."

I began to feel dizzy again, my vision fading.

There are two boys.

At an all girls school.

Cross-dressing.

It was all too much.

I was about to fall over only to be caught by a pair of thin arms.

"Don't try that fainting crap again." Uchiha-san, if that was his real name, glared down at me. "Do you know how much trouble it took me just to carry you over here?"

My face started burning. I then remembered I had gone in with only a towel.

_Oh my god._

As if reading my mind, he said "Whatever it is you're thinking, forget it. It's not like you had much to look at anyways."

Haku-san suddenly laughed. "Yeah right! When you called me on my cell, you sounded so flustered since you weren't sure about what to do. By the time I got here, you were already carrying her in your arms, plus, your face was red!"

Uchiha-san's face reddened at this. "You-!"

"Setsuna-chan's so shy!"

"Shut it!" Angered, he grabbed a coat from the closet and slipped it on. "I could care less if we were caught. The sooner I get out of this hellhole, the better. So spill the secret if you want." With those last words, he left the room.

Sighing, Haku-san pouted. "The guy can be such a prick sometimes, I swear." Turning to look at me, he said "Sorry about this, but I would really appreciate it if you kept this a secret." Standing up, he scratched the back of his head. "To tell you the truth, I had wanted to keep this gender thing hidden from _you_ the most." A faint blush appeared on his face suddenly. "Bu-But I don't mean it like that! A-After all, you were the first person we met here, plus, o-our first friend," he added hastily. "So...yeah."

Embarrassment seemed to be really contagious since I found myself blushing as well.

"I-Is that so...?"

"Yeah...so...think you could help us out here? Well I mean keep our gender a secret that is."

"B-But why are you doing this in the first place?"

His face became grim at this point. "God, _please,_ don't even _ask_ that.

"Why?"

He covered his face with one hand, peeking from behind. "Because…it's embarrassing," he muttered.

"O-Oh."

"So…you _won't_ tell?"

I nodded.

**

* * *

**

As usual, I spaced out during English. The class was boring and all the teacher did was give lectures.

_My roommate…is a boy. _

The truth of that still hadn't sunk in enough.

During homeroom, I would sneak peeks at him, trying to determine from an unknowing person's point of view what he looked like in their eyes.

_He **really** looks like a girl!_

He had a bit of a foul mouth, but when he didn't talk he looked incredibly beautiful.

What I'm most worried about though is that I agreed to help them and keep their secret.

_I just can't seem to say the word "no" to pretty faces. _

I hung my head low and sighed.

_What am I going to do now?_

**

* * *

**

"Hinata-chaaaan!"

The door to my room was pushed open, slamming into the wall.

"I brought some yogurt for us to eat together!" Haku-san said in a cheerful voice. He jumped on the bed, bouncing beside me. My homework papers began to move as well, some of them mixing up. I quickly reached for them and placed them under my Geometry textbook.

"Y-You brought yogurt?"

"Yeah," he said reaching into the bag and pulling out a strawberry flavored one. "Here you go, this one is for you."

"Thank you."

We sat in silence eating; the only sound heard being the plastic spoons hitting the bottom of the cup. Haku-san was the first one to speak.

"Sorry about that, were you doing homework before I came in?" he asked.

"Yes, but you don't have to apologize. I was about to stop anyways."

"Hm? Why?"

"I… had trouble figuring out the problems."

At this, his brown eyes sparkled. "Is it math?" he asked. "I love math, plus I'm really good at it! Do you need help?"

"If...that's okay with you."

"Of course! No problem at all."

I turned to the page in the text and handed it to him. He looked over it for a bit and then scooted in closer to me, holding the notebook in front of us.

"For this section, you have to…" His voice trailed off.

Unknowingly, I found myself staring at his features once again.

"So pretty…" I immediately put my hand over my mouth, realizing that I had voiced my thoughts aloud.

Haku-san merely stared at me, his face slowly turning red. "Um…what?"

"I-I'm sorry, I have to go somewhere!"

"H-Hinata-chan?" He called out to me. I ignored him and left anyways, deciding it best to take a quick walk around campus.

_What was that? I can't believe I just said that out loud! Oh god, he probably thinks I'm some sort of weirdo now._

**

* * *

**

**A/N: Okay, this is not the full chapter of chapter 3, but I didn't want to leave you guys hanging with nothing. I'm REALLY sorry about not updating last week. I showed my dad my report card on Friday and he grounded me, but I don't know how long for. I'm sneaking on right now before he comes home so just bear with this much. I'm really, really, really, REALLY sorry everyone!**

**Btw, this is still a rough draft of chapter 3, might be changed as soon as I get ungrounded. Tell me what you thought about it and whether I should change anything in it or not. **


	4. I Won’t Tell Anyone

**Chapter 4: I Won't Tell Anyone**

It was dark out. Not to mention cold as well. I shivered and wrapped my arms around myself.

"I'm…such an idiot."

Walking over, I sat down on the edge of the fountain that Uchiha-san had run to not long ago. The moon provided light, allowing me to see my reflection in the water. I dipped my hand in and slowly ran it through, causing the reflection to become distorted.

_That was so embarrassing, saying something like that out loud._ I slapped both sides of my face. "He must've figured it out by now…"

"Figured out what?"

I looked up at the voice to see Uchiha-san standing before me, with his wig on of course. His face however had a few bruises which looked painful to me. I couldn't help but stare at them.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" he asked eying me suspiciously.

I realized I was staring too long and immediately stopped, lowering my gaze. "S-Sorry, It's just…does it…hurt?"

He blinked once, then twice as if confused. "What are you talking about?"

I pointed at his face. He frowned. "Didn't I already tell you that it's rude to point? Sheesh, and you're a girl too." Reaching up, he touched his cheek. "You're talking about these though, right?"

I nodded.

"It's just a few scratches, nothing big. They'll go away soon." He eyed me once again. "Why do you care?"

"They...look painful."

"Not really." He shrugged. Something like this is _nowhere_ near real pain. I've had worse more or less."

_Don't tell me he..._ "Do you...always get into fights?"

Scoffing, he raised an eyebrow at me. "Are you kidding? It's the idiots that pick a fight with me."

"But why would they do that?" _He has such a thin and slim figure, so I can't imagine him actually beating someone up. _"You don't look like the type to fight with anyone."

At this, he glared red beams at me. "WHAT? ARE YOU TRYING TO SAY I'M A WEAKLING?"

I shrunk back. "N-Not at all!" _Scary!_

Uchiha-san sighed and scratched the side of his face lightly with one finger. "Geez, forget it! Let's not talk about this anymore." He eyed me once again. "But back to the main question."

I gulped. _Ah! I thought he forgot about it by now!_

"Just why is it exactly that you're out here so late at night?"

I breathed a sigh of relief. _Thank god, he really did forget._ "O-Oh me? It felt so stuffy in the dorm room so I decided to take a walk around campus."

The look in his eyes held suspicion. "If it was so stuffy, you could've just opened a window."

_He's right! But I can't let him know that I left because I felt uncomfortable around Haku-san._ "Th-That's true, but I-I've been meaning to lose some weight anyways." _That should've been believable enough._

He remained silent for a bit before speaking. "Look, I don't really understand why you girls think having a nice body is important, but if you want to exercise, find a better time and place to do it. It's not safe out here at night, you should know that much. Why else do you think they give us a stupid ten o-clock curfew?"

I didn't really know what to say at this. _Does that mean...he was looking out for me?_ "Our school is on private property though, how could it not be safe?"

He shrugged. "You never know. With this place being an all-girls school, it's likely that perverts would flock around here, even going as far as to sneak into the dorms."

I gasped, the realization suddenly hitting me. "Y-You're right!"

He stuck his tongue out at me. "Obviously."

I clasped my hands together and looked up at him. "So then...why are _you _out here?"

His mouth twitching at the corner, he said through gritted teeth, "It's only been _one_ day and you _forgot_ who I really am?"

It took a few seconds before the information fully registered itself in my mind.

"Oh! That's right; you and Haku-san are actually-mmph!"

He had moved so fast that I wasn't able to see it. Covering my mouth with one hand, he hissed "You idiot, keep your voice down! Just because it's late doesn't mean that there isn't a chance someone is out here as well!"

I nodded, which allowed him to back away. "S-Sorry..." _I need to stop that bad habit of mine of blurting things out. _

Uchiha-san scowled at me. "Honestly, I heard that the girls who went here were refined and dignified, not annoying."

I lowered my head at this. _He thinks I'm **annoying**? Well I probably would too if some random girl found out that I was actually a boy and we had to share a room. Now that I think about it, keeping your gender a secret only to be exposed must be really troublesome since you're not sure whether or not the person will tell. And it's not exactly easy to keep that kind of secret hidden either. _

Sighing, Uchiha-san rubbed his temples. "Forget what I said, I'm just tired." I looked up at him. He had an apologetic look in his eyes. "So...will you quit making that face already?"

I immediately stood up. Uchiha-san took a step back, surprised by the sudden movement. "Uh...you okay?"

"Y-You don't have to worry, I won't tell anyone your secret. I p-promise!"

Dumbstruck, he stared at me, blinking. "I...actually wasn't thinking about that, but since you brought it up..."

"I-I'm not sure why you and Haku-san would pose as female students u-unless cross-dressing is your hobby or something-"

"It's NOT," he interrupted, his voice dead serious.

"-but if you have some o-other reason and you can't tell me, then I won't f-force you to so-"

I felt a sudden flick to my forehead. It didn't hurt, but the feel of the impact was there.

Standing at the same level of my height, Uchiha-san put a finger to his lips.

"I get it already; just...stop talking so much."

* * *

There were twenty minutes left before homeroom began. As usual, I passed the time by reading the letters I found stuffed into my shoe locker. White, cute, decorated envelopes were scattered all over the top of my desk.

I sighed. "They do _know_ that I'm a girl, right? If it was just admiration, I wouldn't mind it so much, but..." _No matter which letter I read, they all look like confessions to me._

"Kyaaaaah! Look, it's one of the new transfer students from the class next door!" a girl squealed.

I turned my head in the direction of the room door to see Haku-san standing there in uniform, his beauty radiating throughout the entire room. A large crowd of girls gathered around him, their eyes literally heart-shaped.

_Is it even possible for a boy to be **that** beautiful?_

His full red lips formed into a smile. "Good morning, I'm here to see Hinata-chan. Is she in right now?"

Before the girl could answer him, he spotted me and immediately ran right over grabbing me by the wrist.

"Wha-What are you-"

"Just give me five minutes," he whispered leading me out of the classroom and up the nearest stairwell.

"Where-"

"The rooftop," he answered.

Once on the rooftop, Haku-san released his grip on me.

"H-Haku-san? Is something wrong?"

"I-I'm sorry for barging in like that last night!"

"Uh...what?"

"After finding out that I'm actually male, you must've been uncomfortable, right?" He had a bit of a sad expression on his face. "I know that you said you wouldn't tell, but...I thought we had cleared it up and I could let my guard down around you, so, I'm really sorry for not taking your feelings about this into more consideration." He bowed low.

"Please don't do that, raise your head." He did so and stared at me intently. I couldn't help but blush and turn away. "It's not that I was mad or anything, rather...I said something unnecessary at the time."

His eyes widened. "Oh, you mean..." in that instant, his face flushed red. _Gah! He's blushing!_

"R-Really, you don't have to apologize. I only ran out because I was embarrassed."

Haku-san didn't seem to believe my words however. Covering his face, he lowered his head.

"You know...it's not exactly a compliment for a guy to be called 'pretty'."

"H-Huh? It isn't?"

"Of course not."

"Th-Then what kind of word should I use to describe you as?"

At this, he lowered his hand and closed in on me, his face inches from mine. Naturally, I shrunk back at seeing such a beauty up close.

"How about...you start seeing me as a _man_?"

The tone of his voice had become much more masculine, not at all like the way he talked in class earlier with those girls. If I were to give an example, it would be something like hearing the voice of your favorite anime character whispering to you.

My body felt as though it would melt right on the spot.

* * *

**A/N: My apologies for this rushed chapter. I have homework to make up and a midterm to study for. Sorry everyone! But guess what? My dad ungrounded me! Yay! He can be mean sometimes, but he really is a softie on the inside I guess. I was actually supposed to be punished until the end of April. Anyways, on with other things.**

**I really want to thank everyone for reviewing! I've been getting good feedback on the story, so that makes me really happy. When I saw the long review, I honestly thought my heart would stop. It made me so, so, so happy! Thank you very much!**

**To those I love: ShikaruTo(I love her!), Kichou(I'm her fan!), Comatose-chan, Milk Marshmallow, ToraHoshiWarai, itachisgurl93, Kisa Tsutaka, Blue-shine-angel, Miss0made, Yenni2110, Beautiful miko, Kenshinlover2002(I've seen a lot of her reviews in my stories and I'm really grateful for them!), W1n6s-0f-F1r3, CheerfullyPessimistic, Onimaku Sharoni, AngelHands12, HisaAngel, and ChelseaChelseaJeanJean especially for that really long review she gave me!**

**BTW, I'm sorry if I missed anyone or you're not in there. I only put in the people who reviewed chapter 3. **

**See ya next week everyone!**


	5. I Keep Blushing

**Chapter 5: I Keep Blushing**

When I first came to this school, I thought that I had entered a garden of princesses.

Everywhere, cute girls walked around in their uniforms, giggling and chatting amongst themselves. Gingko trees, flowers of all colors, and the grass were all taken well care of, creating a breathtaking view from afar. A stone pathway to the main building was lined with Sakura trees in full bloom on both sides. The building itself held a western styled design, which looked as though it had stood there for generations, but a beautiful sight nonetheless. The campus ground stretched out as far as three school grounds, along with stone walls surrounding the area.

That day, I asked myself how it could get any more beautiful than it already was.

Of course, I found out only recently when three new people had entered my life.

One of them being very indifferent to the current situation.

* * *

The ground beneath me began to spin as far as I could tell.

"H-Haku-san?" I gulped down the lump in my throat, staring into the beautiful face of an effeminate male, who I only knew for a short time. The distance between us would be considered improper in most normal cases, but had my father been here, it would have been considered a crime.

I backed away, only to trip backwards and fall on my butt.

Haku-san stared at me for what seemed like a long time before throwing his head back in laughter and slapping his knee, tears forming in the corners of his eyes.

I blushed at his sudden behavior. "Wh-what's s-so f-f-funny?" Standing up, I dusted the back of my skirt, frowning in his direction. _It's **because** of you that I tripped in the first place! _

Getting it out of his system, Haku-san calmed down, wiping at the tears in his eyes.

"I-I'm sorry, it's just-your reaction just now was too funny!" he coughed, clearing his throat. "Well, the thing is, about earlier, I was just kidding." His brown eyes sparkled with amusement, adding a certain glow to his face. "Sorry about that thought. You're not mad...are you?"

I could feel my face going red again. _Gyaaah! What's wrong with me? Why do I keep **doing** that?_ Slapping my cheeks lightly, I took in slow and deep breaths, a way to calm myself down. "N-No, I'm not mad, just...surprised."

"And why is that?" he asked.

"..."

"I look like a girl to you, don't I?"

I slowly nodded my head.

Haku-san let out an exasperated sigh, running a hand through his long hair. "Maybe I should cut it...," he said to himself thoughtfully.

I froze at this. "Th-That's...your _real_ hair?

He nodded. "Yeah, why do you ask?"

I gasped, instantly reaching for his hands and holding them in my own. "N-NO! You can't!"

Staring at me with his mouth slightly opened, Haku-san slowly moved his gaze down, which I followed to our hands locked together.

I immediately released my hold on him and covered my face, not wanting him to see the state I was in.

"Um..." he seemed at a lost for words. I couldn't blame him though. I was a strange person after all.

"I-I'm sorry, I di-didn't m-mean it like that, it's just..."

"Just what?" he asked.

Imagining the look on his face was rather quite difficult which didn't at all sound disturbed like I had expected. There was also the fact that I couldn't see.

"...it would...be a waste to cut it." I shut my eyes as tight as I could, embarrassed at the words that came out of my own mouth. If someone wanted to cut their hair, it normally wouldn't be any of the other person's business, but I just _had_ to open my big mouth and tell him that he shouldn't. _It's not like I own him or anything, but-he has such long hair and he's actually going to cut it? The kind of hair that I've been wanting for years too...it's not fair!_

Out of nowhere, the feeling of a hand placed itself on my head. My hands were lowered from my face, allowing me to look up at Haku-san. He wore a beautiful smile, gentle and sincere.

"You...really are strange, aren't you?" he said stifling back a laugh. Stroking the top of my head he leaned down and brushed away my bangs, placing a kiss on my forehead, the feel of his lips soft and warm. "I'm not sure why, but if you don't want me to, I won't cut my hair."

My face was burning red. I was certain of that. "Haku...san?"

"Just think of it as your gift for not telling our secret," he said with a grin, tilting his head to the side cutely.

_Weird gift_. "Th-Thank you, I think..." _Well, I **did** tell him not to cut his hair._

"Oh, and Hinata-chan?"

"Y-Yes?"

"Thanks. I feel a little safer now knowing that one person knows about us." He lowered his eyes to the ground. "It's kind of...overwhelming, trying to keep my gender hidden and all. I can't keep my guard down around here for even one second."

The urge to ask him _why_ he was here became even more tempting, but I held myself back from doing so. _No, I shouldn't just ask him like that. If he wanted me to know, he would've already told me by now._ "Haku-san, earlier, didn't you say that you thought you could let your guard down around me?"

He blinked, surprised at my words. "Y-Yeah, I did. Why?"

"W...When you're with me, you can relax all you want, so...don't push yourself too hard."

* * *

"Hey! The girl with the short blue hair over there!"

I turned around in that instant at the mere description of myself. _I probably am the only girl with blue hair in this school._

The person I had least expected to call out to me was Uchiha-san. He ran over to where I stood, out of breath.

"Ano...Uchiha-san..."

"Where...the hell were you?" he asked, wiping at the sweat on his forehead. "When I woke up, you weren't...in the room. I looked for you...all over the school too."

"You...were looking for me?" _Was he worried?_

"Because of that transvestite, I hardly got any sleep at all!"

_I guess not._

"Do you know how many times he called my cell phone last night? It went off like a damn alarm!"

"Uh..." _Can't he keep his voice down? We're outside where everyone can hear him!_

"-And you know what else? I turn it off and five minutes later, he's throwing rocks at our window! Then I finally ask him what the hell he wants and you know what he says?"

"W-What?" _Uchiha-san must have low blood pressure_.

"HE SAYS HE CAN'T GO TO SLEEP!!!"

"Um...am I related to any of this?"

He shot a glare at me. "You sure as hell are. I overheard a bunch of girls talking and saying that you and that transvestite went up to the roof together or something. I was gonna go check what the two of you were doing, but I decided not to." He clicked his tongue. "Damn it, if I'd known he'd bother me like this, I would've gone up there!"

"I-I'm sorry Uchiha-san. He seemed fine yesterday when I talked to him."

"EXACTLY. It's _because_ you were talking to him that he was bothering me last night. What _were_ you guys talking about anyways? And I'm pretty sure it wasn't about dresses or anything."

"O-Oh! N-Nothing important, just...stuff."

"How stupid do you think I am? It's pretty obvious that you don't want to tell me."

"N-No, its not-"

"God, this is _why _I hate girls," he muttered.

I felt a stab at my heart. _He said he didn't hate me, but I get the feeling that it's not entirely true._

"Whatever, I don't care anymore. As long as he doesn't wake me up in the middle of the night again, the two of you can do whatever you want for all I care."

With that said, Uchiha-san went ahead of me towards the main building, his school bag slung over his shoulder.

_If he walks around carrying his bag like that all the time, he might get caught._

I chuckled to myself. Uchiha-san was rather funny than scary when I had first met him.

"Oh, speaking of which, I wonder why Haku-san couldn't sleep last night."

* * *

**A/N: I'm so sorry everyone! Whatever you read and it didn't make sense, please forget all about it. It's four o clock right now and I'm still up typing. I don't think my brain's working at the moment, but I still have to put this down. **

**First off, like I mentioned in the first chapter, pairings may be changed or added except for the first three pairings I listed. Also, yes Haku has a little crush on Hinata at the moment, but that crush is going to turn into something much bigger! LOL. As for Sasuke, I don't want to make him fall for her so quickly like I did in all my other stories, so I'm gonna do my best on getting him to develop more throughout this story and eventually he'll succumb to the cutie Hinata.**

**BTW: Thanks to EVERYONE WHO REVIEWED THE LAST CHAPTER! I love you all and I'd like to put down your names, but that would take too much time. Besides, those who have reviewed almost every chapter so far know who you are.grins. As a special treat, I'll give you guys the bios on the first three characters.**

* * *

**HYUGA HINATA**

**Age: 16**

**Height: 5 feet 8 inches**

**Class and year: 2-A, 2nd year**

**Favorite Subjects: English and Gym**

**Personality: Shy, soft-spoken, gentle, and caring towards others**

**Likes: Beautiful people, reading manga (preferably Yaoi or Shoujo) and Sweets**

**Dislikes: Horror movies, anything scary, and a lot of attention**

**School Ranking: The Prince-type. With her gentle and quiet nature, she can make everyone in the academy swoon with just a smile. Hinata is an androgynous looking person, thus making her popular with females who find her incredibly handsome, or males who find her really cute. She has short blue hair (since her hair won't seem to grow) and side bangs framing her delicate face along with clear, lavender-tinted eyes. She'll look good in just about anything she wears, male or female.**

* * *

**UCHIHA SASUKE AKA SETSUNA**

**Age: 16**

**Height: 5 feet 8 inches**

**Class and year: 2-A, 2nd year**

**Favorite Subjects: History and Gym**

**Personality: Blunt at certain things, easily tempered, has a bit of a mean streak, violent, and nice (at certain moments)**

**Likes: Fighting, watching TV, and reading books**

**Dislikes: Sweets, girls (particularly annoying ones), and being called pretty or any other compliment meant for a girl**

**School Ranking: The Princess-type. With his (her) long dark hair reaching his elbows, dark penetrating eyes, and flawless skin, Sasuke is considered one of the most beautiful females in the school, not to mention the coolest as well. Seeing as everyone at the school is made up of females, their visual of the ideal Onee-sama is a kind and beautiful one. Sasuke became an exception however after they saw him fight a bunch of guys who were trying to hit on one of their students from the academy. Only when he takes off his wig does he look like a male, but beautiful nonetheless.**

* * *

**SHIROU HAKU**

**Age: 19 (posing as a 16 year old female student) **

**Height: 5 feet 8 inches**

**Class and year: 2-B, 2nd year**

**Favorite Subjects: Math and Home Economics**

**Personality: Light-hearted, silly, kind to those that he cares about, and can be violent when called for**

**Likes: Hinata, Sweets, and sleeping at random places**

**Dislikes: Spicy stuff, his looks, the heat, and Sasuke calling him a transvestite**

**School Ranking: The Princess-type. With his beautiful smile, Haku can charm the entire school. Waist-length brown hair, eyes, and flawless white skin, it's hard to not notice him at all. He stands out everywhere he goes. Unlike Sasuke, Haku does not mind being called pretty by others, the only exception being Hinata since he wants her to see him as a man (This is in later chapters). Compared to Hinata and Sasuke, Haku is more outgoing, but can be shy at times. **

* * *

**Well, I hope the character bios gave you an idea of what they're like. Bye everyone!**


	6. Our Weekend Together

**Chapter 6: Our Weekend Together**

The next day, Sakura invited me to go shopping in Shibuya with her and a few of her friends from another school.

"Oh, I know this is last minute and all, but is there anyone else you want to bring too?" she asked, struggling to hold the side of her hair up with a white hairclip. "It'll be more fun if we have more people."

I pondered on this while straightening Sakura's bed sheets. For someone so beautiful, she was a bit of a slob.

Opened cans of juice lay empty on her study, with crushed bags of chips as well. Her clothes were scattered everywhere along with her papers and textbooks and she never made her bed properly. The only time her room was _ever _clean was if I came over. I couldn't stand to see such a messy room, especially with Sakura standing in it without a care. It just...didn't look right.

"Well...I do have two people in mind."

Sakura's eyes widened at this. "Really? Who?"

* * *

"Why did _I_ have to come? I can understand the transvestite, but m-_ugh_!"

Uchiha-san fell forward, holding onto the front of his stomach in pain.

"U-Uchiha-san? A-Are you alright?" I went over to help him, but he shot a menacing glare at Haku-san.

"Will...you...stop..._doing_ that?" he roared.

Haku-san scoffed. "Why not? You deserve it don't you? And after Hinata-chan took the trouble to invite us." He whacked Uchiha-san across the head. "If you were a real man, you wouldn't complain." Uchiha-san slightly blushed at this.

"Shut up," he muttered.

I looked over at Haku-san who met my stare for only three seconds before turning away.

_Did I do something?_

"S-So where are we supposed to meet your friend?" he asked.

"Well, she specifically told me it was around this area."

"Hey, have you ever _been_ in Shibuya before?" Uchiha-san asked, struggling to stand.

"A-Actually, it's...my first time here."

They both stared at me in shock and disbelief.

"Are you kidding me? What kind of a girl are you?"

"He's kind of right Hinata-chan. The fact that you've never been to Shibuya shows how sheltered your life must be."

My face went red at their words. "I-It's nothing like that!" They both laughed at me.

_So mean... _

"Sorry! Did you wait long?" asked a voice.

I turned around to see Sakura standing there with a cute smile on her face.

"Oh, Saku-"

I was cut off when she said "I missed you honey!" and leaned forward to kiss me on the lips.

_Waaaah! What is she doing? We're in public! _

I gently pushed her away and looked around to see if anybody had seen us. Uchiha-san and Haku-san just stared at me, jaws dropped, their eyes wide as dinner plates.

"N-No, I-It's nothing l-l-like th-that! She's only teasing; sh-she does this _all_ the time!"

Their jaws dropped even more at this._ I shouldn't have said that!_

"Sakura you liar! You never said you were bringing a guy!" accused a voice.

I leaned to the side only to see two pretty girls standing behind Sakura. My heart had just skipped a beat.

One had short black hair and eyes. She wore red lipstick, giving the look of an older and more mature woman. Her outfit consisted of a sleeveless low-cut dress with thin straps, revealing her ivory skin.

The other girl had long red hair and brown eyes. She had on a thin-looking black shirt with long sleeves underneath a blue zip-up vest and white jeans. She wore no make-up other than the friendly smile on her face.

She walked up to me and stood on her toes as if to get a better look at my face.

"I-Is something wrong?" I asked, feeling nervous at how close she was.

"You're _really_ handsome, did you know that?" she asked, studying my face with approval.

"H-H-_Handsome_?" I turned to look at Uchiha-san and Haku-san who were both on the verge of laughing, their faces red. A stifled laughter came from Sakura as well.

_Why are you guys laughing? This isn't funny!_ "A-Ano...about that...I'm...a **girl**."

This time, her jaw dropped open. "You're kidding...right?"

Sakura shook her head. "Nope, she's telling the truth. She's a hundred percent female. Look." Unexpectedly, she grabbed the front of my chest from behind me, giving it a squeeze.

I immediately pulled away and wrapped my arms around myself protectively. "W-W-What are y-you do-_doing_?!?!?!?"

She held up her hands in front of her and let out a contented sigh, staring at them with pure bliss. "Just showing them your natural and beautiful curves," she breathed.

_Sometimes I worry about you Sakura_. _A lot!_

I looked back at the red haired girl who had backed away a few unnecessary feet, confusion and disbelief all over her face. "You...you really _are_ a girl."

Never had I wanted to sink into the ground and disappear as much as I did now.

Sakura frowned at this. "Well, it's not like I _said_ that I'd bring a guy in the first place."

"I-I know that, but-how can you _not_ expect me to mistake her as one? Just look at what she's wearing!"

I let my arms fall at my sides and looked over my outfit. I wore a long sleeved light blue button-up shirt with the cuffs undone and a loose black tie underneath the collar with matching black pants and sneakers.

_Oops._

"Also, there's the fact that she's tall, has short hair, _and_ a flat chest."

Any pride I had left as a girl had been damaged.

"That's not her fault though," Sakura shot back. "She was raised in a house full of males so of course she would pick up some habits."

"Yeah, but-"she gave an exasperated sigh. "Never mind. I came out today to have fun, not argue." She held out her hand to me.

I looked at it. _Are we supposed to shake hands?_ I did so hesitantly, a small smile appearing on her face.

"My name's Hayakawa Misaki, pleased to meet you."

The black-haired girl came forward timidly and introduced herself as well. She was at least one foot shorter than me.

"I-I'm Fujiwara Kotoko," she said, her shoulders trembling. "P-P-Pleased to meet you."

_Oh, she's shy just like me. How cute!_ "It's nice to meet you too, Fujiwara-san." I smiled at her. Her face immediately flared red.

_Why do they always do that? _

As soon as everyone finished their introductions, we set out.

* * *

We all walked together as a group, so as to not get lost. At least, that's what Sakura said.

"Oh, Sakura! That shop, let's go to that one over there!" Hayakawa-san said looking excited. "I heard that the clothes there are fifty-percent off on Sundays!"

"Eh, really?" Sakura seemed to contemplate on the thought for a bit. "Well...I would save more money this way. Finally, she said "Okay then, let's go."

Hayakawa-san let out an excited squeal and was the first one to run off. Sakura raised her hand and gestured us forward to follow her. "Grab a partner!" she shouted over the crowd noise. I saw that she had grabbed Haku-san and Fujiwara-san's hands pulling them along with her.

_**What**? Does this mean that Uchiha-san and I have to run_..._**together**?_

I shook my head at the thought of it. I could tell that he wasn't much of a people-person, so it wasn't un-natural that he wouldn't want to have to drag someone along with him. _Plus, there's also the problem that he might still be mad at me from yesterday._

I dashed forward and decided it best to not make him anymore agitated with me. However, I unexpectedly got dragged along with a large crowd.

_Wha-How did **this** happen?_ I tried pushing my way through, but was pushed back in. My head was spinning. _Are the streets in Shibuya always this crowded?_

Looking up, I could see the blue sky and clouds clear as day. _If only I could see the shop. _A flood of people continued to fill the streets. _There's more?!?!_ I tried forcing myself out this time, only to trip over my own foot and fall down. I wanted to cry then. Sitting up, I looked around to see that the crowd had decreased in numbers, allowing me view of the area and my own personal space.

_Where...am I?_

I stood up and looked around. Everything looked unfamiliar to me. Shops that I'd never seen before had people entering and leaving, making me wish I had gone into the shop with Sakura and the others._ We haven't even been here for an hour and I'm already lost?_

Pulling at my hair, I told myself to calm down and decided it best to walk around rather than stand there.

The people I saw really shocked me.

A lot of people walked around, their hair dyed all sorts of different colors. Some wore revealing clothes and some were dressed in a rather eccentric fashion. There were girls with dark skin and bleached hair. The make-up around their eyes was white; they wore colorful clothing, accessories, and platform shoes.

A group of five or six of them crowded around me, their cheeks flushed red.

_Weird, everyone seems to be getting sick but me._

"Wow, you're cute," one of them said. "Are you from around here?"

"Ne, wanna go do karaoke with us? We'll pay if it's you."

"What's your name?"

"What blood-type are you?"

"Do you have a girlfriend?"

"Let's exchange numbers."

_It feels like school all over again._ "Th-That's very nice of you, b-but I'll pass."

"Huh? Why? It's not like your waiting for anyone, are you?"

"Well, not really but-"

"Then what's the problem?" one of them asked.

"Yeah, it's not like you have a girlfriend or anything, right?"

_Are girls really this persistent?_ "Um-"I was about to correct them for mistaking my gender until a familiar voice called out to me.

"Hey!"

I wasn't sure if I should've been happy or not, but either way relief eased my heart along with a bit of anxiety. "Uchiha-san?"

Pushing his way through the girls, he went up to me and grabbed my wrist. "Where did you go? I was looking for you!" he cried, obviously upset.

"About that..." I looked at all of the girls, their faces red once again. Only, they weren't staring at me, but Uchiha-san.

I heard one of them say "Oh my god, she's so _pretty_."

"So he does have a girlfriend after all."

"We don't stand a chance."

"They look really good together."

Taking one last look at us both, they walked away in silence. Uchiha-san had a confused look on his face. I take it that he hadn't heard what they were whispering about. That was probably a good thing.

"Who were they?" he asked.

I shrugged my shoulders.

"You don't know them?"

I nodded.

"Well, if you're done here, let's get going. The others are probably waiting for us."

He pulled me along behind him, still holding onto my wrist. I thought I saw some people staring.

_How embarrassing..._"U-Um Uchiha-san..." I worked up the courage to ask him, "c-could you let g-g-go of me? People are staring..."

"So what? Let them stare if they want to. It's not any of our business."

"B-But-"

"Besides, who knows what'll happen if I let you go." He turned his head slightly to the side and said to me "I don't want you getting lost a second time. Especially in an area _you've_ never been in."

My face grew hot. "S-S-Sorry!"

"Yeah, yeah, just hurry and keep up."

_I probably shouldn't tell him that the reason I ran away in the first place was **because** of him._ Stifling back a laugh, I couldn't help but smile.

I'm not sure if he heard me, but I whispered to him through the noisy streets and bustling crowd of people.

"_Thank you Uchiha-san_."

* * *

**A/N: Waaah! I'm so sorry everyone for not updating a week ago like I promised! It's just that I had a bit of trouble with this chapter and made countless mistakes, so I went back to fix it only to delete most of it. I'm really, really, really, REALLY sorry if something doesn't make sense in here. Please tell me what you thought of this chapter. **

**BTW, I'll just clear this up right now. When Haku had trouble sleeping and bothered Sasuke, that was because after his talk on the roof with Hinata, it got him thinking about her A LOT. So for Haku at the moment, he's confused on whether or not he likes Hinata. Sorry if it seems rushed. Also, there'll be more SasuHina moments to even out with the HakuHina interactions. **

**Next set of character Bios will come in later chapters as soon as more characters are introduced. **

* * *

**Thank you everyone for your reviews and kind comments. They're greatly appreciated. I love all of you!♥**

**And just to make it clear once again. Sakura is NOT A LESBIAN. She just loves Hinata and likes to tease her. **


	7. Shopping in Shibuya

**Chapter 7: Shopping in Shibuya**

The second we entered the small shop, Haku-san came towards me at full speed and grabbed my hands in his.

"Hinata-chan, thank god you're safe!" grabbing me by my shoulders, he looked at me with great intensity and asked "Setsuna-chan didn't do anything to you, did she?"

Uchiha-san came from behind and brought his fist down on Haku-san's head.

"You dumb-ass! She just ran off so I went to look for her!"

He turned his head around to face Uchiha-san. "Like I can believe _you_..."

Uchiha-san then snapped and proceeded to tackle Haku-san, the both of them rolling around on the floor.

I whipped my head around from side to side to see if anybody was looking and sure enough, they were.

Quickly getting down, I wrapped my arms around Uchiha-san's waist and tried prying him off of Haku-san.

"H-Haku-san, he's telling t-the truth!" I whispered. "Uchiha-san didn't do anything, it's j-just that I got lost and he came to find me, r-really!"

Releasing his grip from around Uchiha-san's neck, he stared up at me with a hopeful look.

"Is...Is that true?"

I nodded my head vigorously to ensure him.

With a bright smile, he stood up and tucked a strand of hair behind his ear, looking refreshed. "Well, in that case...will you forgive me Setsuna-chan?"

Uchiha-san was down on his knees, gasping for air.

"I...HATE...YOU."

"Iyaaaah! Don't say _that_! We're best friends aren't we?" Haku-san bent down and hugged the other boy lovingly, earning him a horrified expression from Uchiha-san.

"Get the hell off of me!"

I turned away and let out a sigh, relieved that the two were now fighting normally like they always did.

_Would this kind of fighting actually be considered normal though_?

I was pulled away from my thoughts the minute I heard Sakura's voice.

"Hinata?"

"A-Ah, Sakura!"

"Where were you and Setsuna-san at?" she asked with a worried look on her beautiful face. "We couldn't find you guys at all in here."

I smiled at her feeling somewhat embarrassed. "W-Well, I kind of got lost in the crowd when you guys ran off a-and it turned out that Uchiha-san came looking for me."

"No wonder, I didn't see the two of you..." she said thoughtfully. "Oh well, all that matters is that you're here now. C'mon, let's go find some clothes!" she said, pulling me along with her. "When shopping in Shibuya, buying clothes is a _must_."

* * *

"Oh my god, look at this shirt! It's _too_ cute!" Hayakawa-san gushed. "What do you think Hinata-san? It's cute isn't it?" she asked, her eyes practically sparkling.

"Y-Yes, it is."

After having questioned me, she ran off towards the changing stalls, snatching a few shirts on her way.

I looked around to see Sakura with Haku-san and Uchiha-san, holding up a set of outfits for them. While Haku-san looked quite happy with it, Uchiha-san on the other hand looked absolutely disgusted, his face turning blue.

It was hard to _not_ laugh. Even though, I couldn't hear what they we're talking about, just watching them was funny enough itself.

I sighed. _Everyone seems to have their own thing to do. I should probably look around too._

Although I thought that, nothing in the shop was of my taste.

The whole room consisted of a velvety red color, from the plush carpet, to the walls, to the curtains that hung at the windows, trimmed with a line of gold and white lace at the edges. Clothes that hung on racks were either too revealing and short or strikingly noticeable and eccentric. There were some normal ones such as shirts, jeans and skirts, but nothing I really liked in any case.

_Guess I'll have to try another place_.

I couldn't help but then notice Fujiwara-san struggling to keep hold of a mannequin that looked like it was about to fall over while adjusting the hem of her black dress which had ridden up her leg on the side. It seemed she didn't want to expose any part of her body in public _even_ if the shop consisted mostly of females.

Before she could fall along with it, I grabbed her by the waist with one arm and the mannequin with the other, allowing it to stand up in place.

She let out a surprised squeak once she saw me.

"H-H-Hyuga-s-san?"

I smiled at her sheepishly. "Are you alright?"

Blushing, she turned her head the other way and began to stammer. "I-I'm f-f-fine th-thank y-y-you!"

"That's good."

Letting her stand on her own, she winced in pain, staring down at her shoes for a bit with a thoughtful exression.

"O-Ow..."

"I-Is something wrong Fujiwara-san? Did I h-hurt you or anything?"

She gasped at this and covered her mouth, shaking her head.

"I-I'm fine, I-It's nothing!"

"Really? Are you _sure_ it's nothing?" I looked her straight in the face to get an answer.

My answer however was a spray of blood in the face with Fujiwara-san falling onto her back.

* * *

**Sakura**: "There it is...Hinata's killer attack."

**Haku-san**: "Hinata-chan? What about her?"

**Sakura**: "Don't you know? Whenever she looks straight at someone up-close with that face of hers, they go _right_ to heaven."

**Uchiha-san**: "What are you talking about?"

**Sakura**: "I'm saying that...she's a _total_ womanizer."

**Uchiha-san** and **Haku-san**: "_WHAT_?"

**Sakura**: It's the truth, I've known her for two years and even though she doesn't know it, she makes the face of someone you just want to attack and-"

_I can **hear** you guys even if you are whispering! _

The six of us sat in a nearby clinic. Fujiwara-san slept on the bed, a gel pad placed on her forehead for cooling down. Blocking out their conversation, I turned to look at Hayakawa-san who was biting hungrily into an apple. She caught my stare and turned away embarrassed.

"Sorry, I didn't eat anything this morning."

"Y-You don't have to apologize, I just wanted to ask you about Fujiwara-san. Will she...be alright? Even if it was just a nosebleed that was a lot of blood..."

"She'll be fine. Even though she's as frail as a princess, she's not all _that_ weak," Hayakawa-san replied nonchalantly, finishing off the apple before tossing it into the waste-bin. "Besides, rather than in pain, Koto-chan probably feels like she's the luckiest girl in the world."

I blinked, surprised at the unexpected remark. "What do you mean?"

Eyeing me, she grinned teasingly. "Well, you probably don't know this, but Koto-chan's been your fan for four years straight up to now."

"H-Huh?"

"You probably don't know this either, but you're pretty famous with the schools in this area."

_What? Now I'm really confused..._

"You...you were in a play before, right?"

Flashbacks from my past ran through my head like a film strip on camera.

_They always made me the lead male role though..._

Just thinking about it was depressing. I nodded my head.

"Well, it turns out that someone took pictures of you during a school play and posted them on the internet. Koto-chan and I were doing research and accidentally hit the wrong link and _pop_! There was your picture. It kind of hit me just now though when I look at you and think about the nosebleed Koto-chan had earlier."

"W-Wait, ho-hold on! Pictures of..._me_...on the...internet?"

"Yup, just look up the word _prince_ and images," she smiled obviously enjoying the reaction I was giving her. "Ever since she saw your picture that time, she's been infatuated with you."

I gulped, realizing the situation I was in. "She...she _does_ know that I'm a girl, doesn't she?"

"At that time, no, but now she does."

"And...and she _still_ likes me knowing this?"

She had a thoughtful look on her face before replying, "Pretty much."

It felt like my whole world had fallen apart just then.

* * *

"Cheer up Hinata, it's not like it's the _first_ time a girl has had a crush on you," Sakura said, slapping my back in an attempt to make me stand up straight.

Stifled laughter came from Uchiha-san who looked like he was about to burst. I saw Haku-san whack him on the head for the second time that day, a look of disapproval on his face.

We were all heading back to the academy dorms, our curfew ending in about an hour.

Turning back to Sakura I looked up at her, desperate for help. "I-I know that but...what if...she gives me a confession?"

"You turn her down then," Sakura said as if it were the most obvious thing to do.

"I c-can't do that though."

"Why not?"

"Because...I don't want to hurt her feelings...I...I know what it feels like to be rejected by the one you like the most."

I no longer heard their footsteps following behind me. Turning around, I saw that the three of them had stopped walking and instead stared at me, sympathetic looks on their faces.

"C-C'mon, don't look at me like that, I mean th-that was a long time ago a-and it's not like I still like him or anything so-"

I was cut off when Sakura rushed forward to hug me, stroking the top of my head.

"You're just _too_ adorable," she whispered gently.

Haku-san gave a small smile and Uchiha-san looked away, but...I could tell he felt sorry for me even if I couldn't see his face.

Just knowing that made me a bit happy.

* * *

Once in our room, I closed the door shut.

Uchiha-san went over to his bed and sat down, removing the wig from his head.

It's not that I _wasn't_ aware that I was in a room alone with a male, but rather, Uchiha-san himself didn't seem like the type of person to try anything.

_Not that he'd want to anyways, especially when I look like this. _

"You...you don't look like a guy at all, just so you know," he said, scratching the side of his head sheepishly.

Locking the door, I walked over and sat on the edge of my bed across from his, kicking off my shoes. "Thank you, but you don't have to pretend. I'm not that pitiful, am I?"

"Who said I was pretending?"

"You're just trying to make me feel better."

"Well, that too, but...I think your pretty...as a girl that is," he added quickly, turning away obviously embarrassed.

I stared at him. It was strange how we both got off the wrong foot when we first met, but now...after everything that had happened, it felt like I was starting to see the other sides of him as well.

Blushing, I looked down at the floor, avoiding eye contact with him.

"Um...Uchiha-san?"

"What?"

"Th-thank you, no one's ever called me pretty before, even...even if it isn't true."

Suddenly, I felt something soft and cool thrown at my head. Reaching for it, I saw that it was a pillow.

I looked up at Uchiha-san who sat there staring back at me, his cheeks red.

"If I said you're pretty, than you _are_ you stupid girl!"

I flinched at this. "S-S-Sorry..."

"And besides...you shouldn't care what other people think...as long as you like yourself."

At that moment, I never wanted to hug him as much as I did now. As if reading my thoughts, Uchiha-san turned red once again and threw the covers over himself, lying down on his side.

"I-I'm going to sleep now!"

Smiling to myself, I got up to turn off the lights.

* * *

**A/N: Oh-ho! I know what you guys are thinking! Sasuke likes Hinata, right? Well, you're WRONG! LOL. He's just a little embarrassed at what he said to her is all. I'm trying to make this as romantic as possible, but I don't want to speed things up with the main pairing like I did in _She's Mine_. They'll start out as friends first and if I can find a way, I'll make the romance progress along the way, but don't expect it too soon. Just to let everyone know, I've gotten reviews like, "I hope this is a HakuHina story!" or something like that, but sadly it's not. Every time, I make the summary for my stories, whichever pairing you see listed first is the MAIN pairing. I wanted to point this out so no one gets their hopes up or anything. I'm really sorry, but on the other hand, you'll get to see your favorite pairing together, just not at the end of the story. As for the two girls, i'm not sure if i should make them a part of the story. Please give me your thoughts on that. **

**PICTURE: Also, I've posted a link to a drawing of Hinata on my profile page at the bottom. The so-called picture online that Hayakawa-san told her about. This is just so everyone gets an idea of what she looks like, in my mind that is. I'm not the best artist, but feel free to take a look. And yes, I DREW it. It is Hinata in a play with the role of the prince in her third year of junior high. I apologize if it looks weird, but it was just a quick doodle. She's such a prince without knowing it, ne?**

**Well, I guess that's it for now. I've just updated two different chapters for two different stories. **

Thank you everyone for your really nice reviews, especially those that left me the long and lovely ones!♥


	8. I Hate Horror Movies

**Chapter 8: I Hate Horror Movies**

"Wait a minute, _where _are we going?" asked Haku-san while applying a light amount of make-up to his face. Uchiha-san looked at him with disgust and returned to flipping the pages of his book. It was obvious that he wasn't reading it.

"M-My senpai invited me to go watch a movie she rented in her room. She a-also said I could bring along a few friends if I w-wanted to too."

Closing the book, Uchiha-san looked up at me, where as I stood, he sat down.

"Are you telling me that..._I_ have to go with you and this pervert here," he added pointing at Haku-san "to a room full of _girls_?"

'_Ore'? Well, it's to be expected with Uchiha-san's personality. _"I-I'm sorry. You don't want to go?"

He frowned. "That should be obvious by now."

Haku-san raised his hand and cheerily said "I'll go!" he walked over to Uchiha-san and put his arm around him. "Setusuna-chan's going too."

"Wha-?"

"_Right_?"

He leaned down and whispered something in Uchiha-san's ear which made his face go blue with shock.

"You're going too, _right_ Setsuna-chan?"

"I-I'll go..."

Haku-san flashed me his angelic smile.

_What exactly did he say to him? Wait,_ _on second thought, I don't think I **want** to know..._

* * *

When we arrived at my senpai's room, we were greeted by several girls who came flinging themselves at us.

"Hinata onee-sama!"

"Hinata-senpai, you really did come!"

"Setsuna onee-sama, you're here too?"

"Waah! So is Haku onee-sama!"

I turned to look at Haku-san and Uchiha-san who were surrounded with as much girls as I was.

Uchiha-san kept his hands at his side as if to keep control of himself from doing something.

Haku-san warmly returned their greetings and comments with his smile, their eyes literally becoming heart-shaped.

_Maybe I shouldn't have brought them._

Uchiha-san looked like he was about to snap and beat them all black and blue while Haku-san gave off his boyish charm without knowing it. At this rate, the both of them were about to be exposed any minute.

During this time, the door to the room was slammed open, gathering everyone's attention.

There stood my senpai, tall, assertive, and beautiful. Like Sakura, her eyes were green. She wore her brownish-blonde hair up in a strange style with four ponytails, but was most likely the only one who could pull it off and actually look good. She had the womanly curves most girls wished they had and the seductive sexy look.

The minute she caught my stare, senpai came towards me, her face practically beaming with happiness.

"_The_ Ouji-sama actually came?" she said jokingly, reaching out to cup my face in her hand. Turning my head gently to the side, she placed a kiss on my cheek. "What an honor this is."

At this moment, several girls screamed with heated excitement, their faces red.

"Did you see that? She _kissed_ her!"

I couldn't help but blush at their overreaction to the simple greeting.

_I should probably tell her not to do that anymore._

"Temari-senpai, please don't call me that."

"Hmm? You mean _Ouji-sama_?" she asked.

"Yes..." I sighed. "I've already told you I'm _nowhere_ near a prince."

"Why not? It suits you."

_Why do I have the feeling I've heard this before._ "It does _not_."

"Oh yes it _does_," she said grabbing me by the waist. With her other hand, she held my face, tilting it up slightly.

"Wha-What are you do-?"

I was cut off when she said in a loud voice "Girls, don't you think _Hinata-san_ here looks like a prince?"

Everyone stared at me for a bit. I gave them my most pleading and desperate look to answer no. This only made the problem worse when they all fainted, their noses bleeding.

_Why did they faint?_

Grinning, Temari-senpai ruffled the top of my head affectionately. "See? You knocked out eleven girls just from staring at them."

_That's not exactly something to be happy about_..."W-Will they be okay?"

She waved her hand at them dismissively. "They'll be fine, but more importantly we should probably get ready and watch the movie."

* * *

With everyone settled down and the lights turned off, the opening credits to the movie appeared on the large T.V screen.

I sat between Haku-san and Uchiha-san because of protests from the girls of who would sit next to each other. Frustrated, Temari-senpai gave everyone seating arrangements in the end, with her sitting behind me.

Focusing my attention on the bright screen, I watched with interest which only increased by time as it became darker and the music frightening. The movie was set in the feudal era of Japan with a noblewoman who was in love with her elder sister's lover. Seeing how much the man was in love with her sister, she used suicide as a final escape from life, heartbroken that he would never return her feelings.

By the time we got into the first twenty minutes of the movie, it hit me then.

_Don't tell me this is a-_

As quietly as I could, I leaned over and tugged at Haku-san's sleeve. He turned to look at me.

"Is something wrong Hinata-chan?" he whispered in a low voice.

I hesitated, but decided that it was best to find out before anything else happened.

"H-Haku-san...do you...know what kind of movie this is?"

His eyes widened in surprise at this. "Huh? You don't know?"

I nodded.

He chuckled quietly. "It's a **horror **movie of course."

I felt my blood run cold in that instant. Of _all_ the things we had to watch. "H-H-H-**Horror** movie?" I gulped.

"Yeah, is something wrong?"

I shook my head. "N-No. I was just w-wondering, that's all."

"Is that really all? You look like you have something else you want to say."

Blushing, I reached for the pillow on Temari-senpai's bed, burying my face in it.

"I-I'm fine, r-really, I am..." My voice came out muffled.

Shrugging, Haku-san returned to watching the movie. "Well, if you say so..."

I pulled up my legs and hugged them, shutting my eyes tight.

_What do I do, what do I do, what do I **do**? If I even **hear** or **see** the movie **that** will happen tonight for sure! And I don't want it to!_ Just the thought of it happening made me want to jump off a bridge.

I secretly sneaked peeks at the other girls. They usually say girls are the main victims to horror movies, but that didn't seem exactly true for the students of Sakuragi Academy. Everyone sat and watched the movie calmly, absorbed into whatever was happening.

_How can they all be so brave?!?!?!_

That night, I didn't get one bit of sleep.

* * *

"Hinata, are you okay?" Sakura waved her hand in front of my face.

We sat underneath the large cherry blossom tree in the courtyard, eating the sandwiches she bought from the school's cafeteria.

There was a nice breeze and the sun was gentle and warm. It was enough to...

"Hinata?"

...make me fall asleep.

"HINATA?!?!?!"

I sat up instantly at Sakura's voice. She sat close beside me, a worried look on her beautiful face.

"H-Huh? Wha-what happened...?"

"That's what I would like to know!" She slipped her arms around me. I was grateful for the support.

"S-Sorry...I'm just...a little tired, that's all." I brought my hand to the side of my head, gently massaging near the temple.

"Tired? Didn't you get any sleep last night?" she gently brushed back my bangs, wiping at my forehead with a silk handkerchief. "I thought your face looked a little pale this morning..." she muttered to herself.

I forced myself to sit up straight, my body drained of energy. "I-It's alright Sakura, I'm fine."

She let out a sigh. "You don't look like it though." She moved in closer towards me and held the side of my face with her hand. "Should I..._warm_ you up?" she asked. Her green eyes sparkled teasingly.

I held my hand up at her when she came closer than necessary, her lips touching my palm.

"N-No, it's fine. There's no need for you to and besides..."

"Kyaaaaaah! It's the prince and the princess!"

"They're becoming intimate with each other in public?!?!?!?!"

"How bold!"

"But they're so _beautiful_ when they're together!"

"The perfect couple!"

"...those girls are going to make an even bigger fuss about it if you continue any further," I pointed out, disheartened by the fact that I was part of the fantasies of the female population at my school.

* * *

"Hey, are you sick or something?"

I looked up at Uchiha-san who hovered above my bed. He stared down at me with a frown on his face. "If you are, you better not give me whatever it is you have. It's bad enough that I have all this schoolwork to do, but if I don't keep up my grades, they'll take away my scholarship."

I immediately sat up at this. "A-A s-s-_scholarship_?"

He scratched the side of his head. "What about it?"

"I-I didn't know you came here on a scholarship, Uchiha-san!"

He sighed. "You...you're really slow, aren't you? How else do you think I was able to transfer here in the middle of the year? It's not like I'm a son from some wealthy family."

"B-But when we first met, you and Haku-san said you needed to hand in the student applications-"

"That was _after_ we took the entrance exam and _passed_."

"O-Oh! Well, I guess that explains why." I smiled at him feeling rather embarrassed at my lack of knowledge towards the academy. "I've been here longer than you and I don't even know _this _much?" I'd meant to laugh it off as a joke even if it was true, but somehow I felt a bit shamed.

"Yeah, but it's not like you know everything, right?"

I felt something deep inside my chest just then. "Uchiha-san..."

"You can't help it if you're an idiot."

"..."

_Is he trying to make me feel better or not?_

In the end, I couldn't fall asleep that night again.

* * *

During gym, the shrill blow of the whistle kept me from dozing off.

_Maybe I should stay active so I don't fall asleep_...

I decided to play tennis with one of the senpai's from another class. Our match consisted mostly of hitting the ball back and fourth to each other and hundreds of screaming girls surrounding the court gates.

_No good, I'm still tired..._

I could feel myself losing balance and was about to fall over when someone from behind caught me, if not clumsily.

It was a girl in the first year class, judging from the emblem on her gym shirt. She held me in her arms, her cheeks red.

I looked up at her, grateful that she had caught me.

"A-Ano...are you...okay?" she asked.

I didn't have to the energy to speak, so I instead pulled her down to whisper into her ear.

"..._Arigatou_."

I don't remember what happened after that, other than her face turning red and the screaming around me.

A few minutes later, I woke up from a horrible nightmare.

_Thank god I woke up. If I had stayed any longer in that dream..._

I sat up, the realization hitting me that I was in the infirmary.

"That was certainly fast," said a voice.

The curtain was pulled aside only to reveal the nurse, Shizune-sensei. She wore a lab coat over a casual dress suit. Her short black hair was pulled back into a small ponytail.

"How are you feeling, _Ouji-sama_?" she said with a smile. With the way you passed out, I thought it would be for a couple of more hours before you woke up."

I winced at the sharp pain that shot through my head. I held onto the side of the bed to keep from falling.

"It's best if you don't get up. If you want to, you can go back to sleep. I'll work something out with your teachers to excuse you from class."

"N-No! Really...I'm fine, I-I can go back to class."

_I can't, but...it hurts so much. My stomach, my head, everything._

"Are you sure?" she asked. "Your face is really pale. I think you should rest for a bit at least-"

"I said I'm _fine_!"

Shizune-sensei took a step back, a hint of fear noted in her dark eyes for a brief moment. She had a hurt look on her face.

I gasped, realizing what I had just done. "I-I'm so so-sorry, I didn't m-mean it like that! It's just-!"

_I don't want to. I'm so afraid of falling asleep. _

"I...I understand. You can go back now if you'd like," she said with a small smile.

I felt a sudden pang of guilt.

"I...I'm really sorry Shizune-sensei."

I ran out, ashamed of what I'd done.

* * *

As soon as I got to my room, I jumped onto my bed, burying my face into the soft pillow. 

_I can't believe I just did that! Especially when all sensei wanted to do was help me._

I really wanted to cry at the moment, but that thought disappeared when Uchiha-san entered the room, a worn out look on his face.

He threw himself onto his bed. "Hey, I'm going to sleep now, so you better not wake me up."

Within the five minutes that passed, he was sound asleep, only his soft breathing and the ticking of the clock heard. I decided to check for myself.

"Uchiha-san?" I called to him softly. He didn't answer. "Uchiha-san, are you awake?"

Still no answer.

I got up and slowly made my way over to his bed.

_He really is asleep. _

I couldn't help but feel envious of him.

_He's so lucky. He can sleep without having any nightmares_.

I poked at his face, the skin there unbelievably soft.

_Looks comfortable..._

I shook my head at the sudden thought.

_No...I can't do that! If I did, he would get mad at me. _

Taking in deep breaths, I found myself staring longingly at the empty spot on the large bed.

Uchiha-san turned on his side, mumbling incoherent words.

_Hm, reminds me of nii-san_...

I continued to stare at him.

_Whenever I had a nightmare, I would always sleep with nii-san. _

I'm not sure why, but I got onto the bed as gently as I could and crawled over to Uchiha-san, lying close to him as possible. Maybe it was due to the lack of sleep that I mistook him for my nii-san, but the minute I snuggled up against his back I could feel myself drifting off.

_So warm_...

The next morning, I woke up refreshed and opened my eyes to see Uchiha-san beside me.

He opened his eyes and stared back at me for what seemed like a long time.

A few seconds later, he let out an incredible scream.

* * *

**A/N: Ah, i'm sorry for not updating sooner everyone, but i will try. Your kind and honest reviews are really what keeps me going. It makes me happy to know what you think about my story. This chapter was again rushed since my internet was cut off, but thankfully it's back on. Well, there are a lot of things i'd like to go over in this story, but i'm unfortunately too lazy and tired right now like Hinata and Sasuke. Speaking of which, Hina-chan seems to be a little bold in here doesn't she? When i mentioned nii-san though, i mean that there is gonna be a nii-san which everyone should know who he is. I'm not sure when i'll introduce him though.**

**If you have any questions at all, feel free to leave it in your reviews. I'll try my best to answer all of them. **


	9. Forgive Me Please

**Chapter 9: Forgive Me Please**

"Uchiha-san, w-wait!"

"Stay the hell _away_ from me!"

"B-But-!"

Ignoring me, he ran down the dorm halls and into Haku-san's room. I followed him in, only to find the other boy still asleep.

Grabbing the covers, Uchiha-san pulled them off Haku-san and grabbed him by the shoulders, shaking him.

"Hey, wake up you stupid transvestite!"

At that very moment, Haku-san punched Uchiha-san right in the face, knocking him back. Yawning, he put a hand over his mouth, and said sleepily, "What do you want _now_?"

"I want to switch rooms!"

This woke Haku-san up. "What?"

"Didn't you hear me? I-want-to-switch-rooms! If I have to wake up with _her _sleeping next to me again I-!"

I put my hands together in a plea and bowed several times. "Uchiha-san, p-please forgive me! I-It's not what you think, I-I only slept beside you last night because-!"

**Storytelling in progression:**

"-And that's why," I finished, hoping that he'd believe me.

The both of them stared at me open-mouthed.

**Sasuke's thoughts**: _This girl is an idiot._

**Haku's thoughts: **_They slept next to each other_..._on the same **bed**?_

"I-Is something wrong?"

I flinched when Uchiha-san stood up. He walked over to me and hit me on the head with his fist.

"O-Ow!" _I didn't think he'd be **that** angry!_

"You idiot! If you knew you were gonna have nightmares, why the hell did you agree to watch it in the first place?" he cried.

"B-But that's because I d-didn't know that it would be a horror movie!"

He opened his mouth to say something, but Haku-san stopped him.

"Okay you guys, that's enough." Scratching the side of his head, he turned to me and said "I thought something was wrong with you while we were watching the movie." Sighing, he came over to me and patted my head. "Honestly, you're naiveté is one of the things that make you so cute. Next time, check what kind of movie you're going to watch before actually seeing it."

I nodded my head.

He then turned to Uchiha-san and put his hand on his shoulder, forcing a smile on his face. "And you...you didn't do anything to her..._did_ you?"

_Do what? _

Uchiha-san slapped his hand away. "What the hell are you talking about? Why would I-"

"ANSWER ME."

The other boy's face turned a slight blue. "I d-didn't do anything..."

Heaving a sigh of relief, Haku-san patted him with a smile on his face. "Good, that's all I need to know."

_What are they talking about? _

* * *

During class, I nearly dozed off from boredom until sensei tapped the piece of chalk in her hand against the board.

_That was close. I'd better start taking notes._

Reaching for my pencil case, I pulled out a mechanical pen, clicking the button.

_Hmm? No lead? _

I looked around to see a few others using pencils and the ones that weren't were too far away from me to ask. I turned to Uchiha-san who was using a mechanical pen as well.

_Lucky! _

As quietly as I could, I whispered to him "Uchiha-san, do you have any lead I could borrow?"

He stared straight ahead at the front of the room and remained silent.

_That's weird, can't he hear me?_ I was about to reach over and tap his arm when he suddenly stood up, the chair scratching the floor. All eyes turned on him.

_Wha-?_

"Excuse me sensei, may I go to the infirmary? I'm not feeling very good."

Sensei looked reluctant and with what looked like a sneer said "Do as you please, I have no need for a student who does not wish to learn."

As if eager, Uchiha-san left the room, closing the door behind him.

_Is he really sick? He seemed fine earlier. _

A sudden horrible realization hit me then.

_Wait a minute, is he_..._**ignoring** me? No, calm down, that can't be it. I apologized to him this morning already, but_..._what if he really is still mad?_

Somehow, I had the feeling that he wouldn't be coming back to class.

* * *

I met up with Haku-san who was chatting with a few girls. They stared at him in a way that seemed dangerous.

_Even if he looks like a girl, he still gives off the charm of a boy._

"Hi Hinata-chan, do you need something?" he asked

"I-I was wondering if you knew where Uchiha-san was at."

"Setsuna-chan?" he pondered on the thought for a bit. "No, didn't you guys go to class together? I haven't seen her since this morning."

"A-Ah, you're right. I'm sorry." I turned on my heel and ran, thinking of places I would find him at.

After class had ended, I went straight to the infirmary, but Shizune-sensei said that no one had come in.

_Where are you at Uchiha-san? _

* * *

By evening, I still hadn't found him.

"I looked everywhere on campus too. Where exactly is he?"

Since I was outside, I decided to take a rest. I seated myself underneath a tree, hugging my knees.

_Maybe he is mad at me. I don't blame him though; he has every right to be. Waking up next to a girl who just all of sudden climbs into your bed. _

"And after things were going so well too...he must really hate me now."

From the side, something rubbed against my arm. I looked over to see a small male puppy, wagging its tail with its tongue hanging out. He looked up at me with his big black shiny eyes.

"Waaah, how cute!" I picked him up as gently as I could and placed him into my lap. He moved around a bit before settling down, a look of content on his face. There was a red collar around his neck with a golden circular tab engraved with the name _Akamaru_.

_Is he lost? _

"Hey little guy, why aren't you at home? You're owner must be looking for you." he answered with a nudge at my hand. I took it that he wanted me to pet him, which I did. His fur was a light-tan color with a mixture of white, silky and soft as well. I stroked the top of his head and scratched him behind his ears which he seemed to enjoy.

_I wonder why he's all the way out here at this time of day. Did he run away from home or something? In any case, it kind of reminds me of_...

"Oh, I know! Do you want to hear a story Akamaru?" He looked up at me and tilted his head to the side.

_So cute!_

I controlled myself to keep from crushing him. "Well, you see, I'm looking for a friend. I don't know if he's lost or if he ran away, but I can't seem to find him. Kind of like you, the only difference is that you're here."

The dog looked up at me intently, as if he really were listening.

_Get a grip Hyuga. To him, I probably sound like a broken record._

Despite that I knew that, I continued on anyways.

"And well...I think...he's mad at me. That seems to be all I make him do, not that I want to though. In fact, I really like him."

_What am I saying? And to a dog no less. No offense Akamaru_.

"Even though he's very pretty, he looks scary and mean at first too, but the truth is...I know he's a really nice person. Whenever something bad would happen to me, it was like he knew and would immediately come to help."

Akamaru stood up on his legs and licked my face. I laughed and stroked his head. "I like you too, don't worry."

He settled down.

"But anyways, I think of Uchiha-san as...a really good friend. I know he's not good with words and says really mean things sometimes, but...that's probably his own way of showing his affection for others. Oh, and he can be really direct about things. Also, he's violent, easily tempered, and has a foul mouth, but..."

_For some reason, it doesn't feel like I'm talking about a friend._

"...I also like those things about him too."

I nuzzled my forehead against Akamaru's. "What do you think Akamaru? He sounds interesting, doesn't he? Do you think you'd like to meet him?"

The dog raised his head and looked as though he had seen something. He began barking up at the tree.

_It must be a chipmunk. _

I followed his gaze to see Uchiha-san jump down beside me. Too surprised by his sudden appearance, I released Akamaru, in which he jumped from my lap, biting onto Uchiha-san's arm.

_U-Uchiha-san?!?!?!_

"Ow! What the hell?"

I immediately grabbed Akamaru, pulling him away from the Uchiha.

"Stupid mutt," he muttered under his breath.

Akamaru barked at him in return. Standing up, I placed him on the ground, giving him a little push.

"You should go home now; you don't want to make you're owner worry, do you?"

The dog stared at me for a bit before running off, his small figure disappearing from sight.

"God, what the hell is wrong with that dog?" he hissed.

"I-I'm sorry, I don't think he meant to do that. Are you...hurt?"

He turned on me, glaring. "What do you think? I was just bitten by a random dog. If I get rabies, I'm blaming you."

"B-But-!"

"I'm just kidding."

_How can I believe that when you said it with such a serious face?_

The both of us stood in silence for what seemed like hours. Uchiha-san was the first to speak.

"Hey."

I directed my attention towards him. "Y-Yes?"

He looked at me, as if hesitating. "Were you...looking for me?"

I nodded my head.

"Why?"

"Because you didn't come back to class."

"Why didn't you just wait in the room? I would've come back eventually."

"I..."

"You what?"

"I wanted to apologize to you."

"Didn't you already do that this morning?"

"H-Huh? But-aren't you s-still mad at me?"

He whacked me on the head.

"O-Ow..."

"I never said I was mad, you just thought that yourself."

"B-But in class y-you ignored me and-"

"I was being careful."

"Of...what?"

"Couldn't you tell? That teacher hates me. Apparently, she thinks I'm setting a bad influence on all the other students because of the way I look. She was watching me in class too. If we had talked to each other for even a bit, the both of us would've gotten punished. And besides that, she's always looking for some way to make me look bad in front of everyone," he scoffed. "Like I'd let her do that."

It took a while before everything managed to sink into my brain. "So...you're _not _mad at me?"

"Never said otherwise."

Overcome by happiness, I ran over and hugged Uchiha-san, causing him to jump in surprise.

"H-Hey! What's with you? Is this a habit or something?"

I ignored him and held on. My tears threatened to spill. I was too happy and relieved at the moment that the thought of having to let go wasn't at all pleasant.

Sighing, he let me hold onto him until I pulled away myself, after having had enough.

"You done?"

I nodded, embarrassed at my display of forwardness. "S-Sorry."

"It's fine."

We both stood in silence once again. Uchiha-san spoke first.

"Earlier...what was that about?" he asked.

"Earlier?"

It then hit me.

_He was listening?_

I was ready to run away when he grabbed my wrist and held me in place.

"Hey, where do you think you going? You didn't answer my question yet!"

_But that's because I didn't **want** you to hear it in the first place! _

"Is it true that...you think of me as your..._friend_?"

I blinked and turned around to look at him. "W-Why do you ask that? Of course I do!"

He stared at me. In a few seconds, his face turned crimson red.

_Is he...blushing? _

Hiding the blush, he covered his face with his right hand.

"You...you really say dumb things," he muttered, shaking his head.

I gaped at him.

_He doesn't think of us as friends?_

"-but for some reason," he put down his hand, allowing me to see him.

"That...makes me really happy."

I couldn't stop staring at his face.

The Uchiha-san standing before me smiled happily for the first time, making him look even more beautiful than ever. It was as if he looked relieved.

I turned away, putting my hand over my nose which was on the verge of bleeding.

_Oh my god, he looks so **cute**!_

"Hey, is something wrong with you?" he asked, his face returning to its normal expression.

"I-I'm fine."

Walking past me, Uchiha-san turned around and said, "C'mon, let's go back, _Hinata_."

I felt my heart skip a beat just then.

_Did he just-?_

It then dawned on me.

It was also the first time Uchiha-san had ever called my name.

"Hey, hurry up, it's getting dark!"

_Is it normal to be this happy?_

"W-Wait for me Uchiha-san!" I ran to catch up to him.

He looked at me with a frown.

"W-What is it?"

"You _can_ call me Sasuke you know?"

"S-_Sasuke_?"

"Yeah, you didn't _really_ think my name was Setsuna, did you? My name is Sasuke. Uchiha Sasuke."

"S-Sasuke..."

I immediately covered my mouth. My face was burning up, I could feel it.

"What? What's wrong?" he asked.

"I...I can't do it."

"Do what? Say my name?"

I nodded my head vigorously.

"Why not?" he asked sounding a bit offended.

"I-It's too...embarrassing..."

He raised a brow questioningly, and then sighed. "Whatever, geeze you're so weird."

"S-Sorry..."

"Stop apologizing. If it's _that_ hard for you, just call me like you always do then."

"Okay..."

Uchiha-san walked ahead of me, but I followed him from behind, not wanting him to hear the pounding of my heart.

Never had anything sounded so loud to my ears before.

* * *

**A/N: Oh my god, I have such a huge cavity after writing this chapter. Well, for those of you who can tell, she doesn't know it yet, but this is the part where Hinata starts liking Sasuke. Sasuke on the other hand still sees her as more of a friend. And poor, poor Haku. I'll have to give him more moments with Hinata. Maybe in the next chapter. Oooooh, other characters are coming up. Anyone excited? cause I sure as hell am. After reading this chapter, it seemed weird to me, but then I thought I shouldn't leave those that actually read my story hanging with nothing. Oh, and to explain why Sasuke got mad when he woke up next to Hinata was because he would've had the urge to pounce on her with him being a boy in his teens and all. Not that he likes her in that way...yet. So yeah, i'm really grateful to everyone who reads and reviews my story. I really mean it. Thanks you guys.♥ **


	10. A Boy Asked Me Out

**A/N: (Drumrolls). A NEW CHARACTER appears for the first time! Try and guess who it is. No skipping or skimming through**** either!**

* * *

**Chapter 10: A Boy Asked Me Out**

It's been about two months since Uchiha-san and Haku-san transferred to Sakuragi Academy. Lately, there have been some changes to the both of them, but I can't exactly put my finger on it.

At the moment, we were in our home economics class. Class 2-A and B both had to share the kitchen for the week due to an accident in the other kitchen.

I reached for the apron hanging off the hook and slipped it on, tying the back ends into a knot. Something soft was then thrown at my head.

"Tie that bandana on," Uchiha-san instructed while doing his own.

Haku-san pounced on me, squeezing me from behind.

"Morning Hinata-chan!"

I felt like I was going to choke. "M-Morning..."I managed to breathe out.

He released me and was about to hug Uchiha-san as well, but before he could do so, the other boy kicked him away.

"Go back to your side of the kitchen," he threatened, his voice hard and cold.

Quietly, Haku-san retreated, mumbling incoherent words with a pout on his face.

I turned to Uchiha-san, not able to suppress my laughter. "You two get along well."

"Not really, we only know each other because of my brother and his uncle." He went through the cabinet underneath the sink and pulled out a glass mixing bowl. "Hey, we're supposed to make something sweet today, right?"

"Y-Yes."

He made a gagging face. "Let's just get this over with. I'm gonna throw up if I have to stay in here any longer."

Forget about the assignment. "Y-You have a b-b-brother?"

He again gave me the special look that labeled me in his own way as a weird person. I was used to it by now though.

"Yeah, is something wrong with that?"

"N-Not really, it's just...kind of new to me, that's all. I-I didn't know you had a brother."

"Well, it's not like I told you or anything," he said making it sound obvious, which it was.

I was about to say something when Kurenai-sensei came over and interrupted us. She had her wavy black hair up in a ponytail; her dark, almost red looking eyes gleamed with a sort of gentleness once she saw me.

She whispered something to Uchiha-san in which he tossed off his apron and ran out of the kitchen.

_It was probably something important. _

Turning to me, sensei said "Hinata, if you'd like, you can ask one of the other students to partner up with you. I recommend it since working alone would be rather difficult."

"Yes, I will."

She nodded her head at me with a smile and walked away.

_Sigh, well, I'd better find someone for now._

I approached the closest girl to my kitchen station who was in a group of four with three other girls. She said something in which caused everyone to laugh.

_She looks nice._

I was about to call out to her when a pair of arms wrapped themselves around my waist.

Startled, I turned around to see Haku-san. He looked up at me with a cute smile on his face.

"Now that the annoying bug's gone, how about I be your partner?"

"O...Okay."

* * *

"Can you pass me the cookie cutters?"

I pulled open the drawer, and looked down to see a variety of shapes. "W-Which one? There's a star, an angel, and a heart-"

"I'll take the heart," Haku-san answered suddenly.

I passed him the cookie cutter and watched as he rolled out the dough nice and flat.

"I didn't know...you could cook," I said, standing behind him to look over his shoulder. He jumped suddenly and turned around, covering the back of his neck with his free hand.

"Y-Yeah, well there are a lot of things I can do that you don't know about," he said, his voice sounding nervous-like.

"Hm? Like what?"

He turned his head away, an embarrassed look on his face. "Never mind," he muttered.

After putting the tray in the oven, the both of us sat down at the table to rest. I couldn't help but daze off for a bit. Sweet smells and spices wafted throughout the room. I felt my stomach growl.

_Uh, I hope he didn't hear that. _

Haku-san chuckled. "What, you're hungry already?"

_Oh my god, he did! _

"Well, if you'd like, I could go ask some of the other groups for a sample of their sweets," he offered. "Most of them are finished since they had a head start."

He was about to get up from his chair, but I tugged at the side of his shirt to stop him.

"N-No it's fine. I'd rather wait to eat the cookies you made. They look really good."

Haku-san stared at me for a bit, his face breaking into a gentle smile. "Is that so?"

I nodded.

He sat back down, leaning on one arm to stare at me once again.

_Why do people always do that? _

"Hey, Hinata-chan?"

"Y-Yes?"

"I thought it was just my imagination, but you really look like someone I've seen before. The only difference is your facial expression, hair color and length."

"R-Really? Who?"

He shrugged, tucking a strand of hair behind his ear. "Hn, I can't remember."

"W-Well, they say there are at least a few people in the world with the same face."

"Yeah, I guess so. I'm probably thinking too much."

Silence.

"So, how's sharing a room with Setsuna-chan?" he asked.

"Good?"

"Is she bothering you?"

I shook my head. "N-No, actually, she's always helping me with my homework, so I'm rather grateful."

Haku-san had a thoughtful look on his face. "She doesn't try sneaking into your bed at night or anything?"

"No...I don't think so."

"You sure?"

I nodded.

He let out a sigh of relief. "That's good. I was worried there for a second."

"Um...about what?"

He stared at me with a look of disbelief on his face.

I raised my eyebrows to tell him that I had no idea what he was talking about.

He placed his hand on his forehead. "Actually, maybe it's a good thing you don't understand."

Deciding not to question him any further, we instead talked about the classes we were currently in now until the cookies finished baking.

The timer went off.

Slipping on oven mitts, Haku-san took out the tray and placed it on a cooling rack.

I stood and walked over to take a look at them.

"Ah, they're so cute!"

"Aren't they?" he grinned.

Lined up in three rows of fours were perfectly heart-shaped cookies, nicely browned at the edges, a sweet and warm scent coming from them.

After they finished cooling down, Haku-san passed me a tube of light-blue frosting. We decorated them each with a different smiley face. Neither of us were much of an artist.

He passed me a cookie.

"Try it," he urged.

I took a bite, savoring the sweet taste in my mouth.

"How is it?"

I smiled at him. "It's delicious, really."

He returned the smile with his own. "I'm glad you like it."

"Do...do you cook a lot? Earlier, it looked like you knew what you were doing."

"Actually, I do. I have an uncle who I live with. While he went to work, I stayed home and played the housewife, cooking and cleaning."

_If I said that it suited him, he might get upset._

Leaning on the counter, Haku-san stared straight into my eyes once again.

"I-Is something wrong?"

It always made me nervous whenever he did that. The way he looked at me felt so...intense.

"I was wondering, do you have a boyfriend?" he asked.

My face went red. "E-Excuse me?" To ask me that kind of question, it was really...

"Do you have a _boyfriend_?" he asked putting more of an emphasis on it this time.

I shook my head. "N-No." Actually, I've never had one other than a few unrequited crushes, but I wasn't planning on telling him that.

His cheeks flushed and a smile graced his lips.

"That's...great." The look on his face made my heart jump a bit.

For some reason, there were times when I saw Haku-san as two different people. One side was the female life he led others to believe and the other was his male half, which he kept hidden.

I didn't understand him. He looked so much like a girl, but there were times when he'd look...different. Like a boy. And that's when I was reminded that he _was_ one.

First it was Uchiha-san, now it was Haku-san. I didn't want to blame them, but because of them my chest had started to feel really weird lately, plus my heart wouldn't stop beating.

_I just might die from a heart attack one day._

* * *

The tree leaves were beginning to color, the red and gold spreading from the tips. I noticed this when I stepped outside, greeted by a breeze of cold fresh air.

It was the first day of October, which meant fall was on its way.

"They're so pretty," I smiled to myself, admiring the scenery around me.

Right now, I was on my way to town to buy some manga that I'd been saving up for. Uchiha-san asked me to pick up a book for him as well with the title written down on a scrap piece of paper.

It had never even occurred to me that Uchiha-san liked to read. I'd always thought he flipped through books out of boredom, but in reality, he was into them enough that he'd block out everything else around him.

I found out something new today. For some reason, it made me happy.

* * *

Once I got inside the bookshop, I ran straight for the section where they kept the manga.

I could feel it, my heart racing with anticipation.

"I wonder if they have _Host Club's_ latest volume," I muttered to myself, my eyes scanning over the titles.

"Oh, you're a fan of _Host Club_ too?" asked a voice from behind me.

I jumped a bit and turned around, surprised by the sudden stranger who stood before me.

He was every right in his own way good-looking. His hair was a nice black, just like Uchiha-san's and reached the nape of his neck with his bangs parted evenly at the side. He had dark eyes as well and a nice smile. Something seemed a bit off about it though.

"O-Oh, uh...yes I-I am," I answered.

He reached over my head into the top shelf and pulled out a book, holding it up in front of my face.

"Is this what you're looking for?"

I couldn't suppress the joy that filled my entire body. "It's-!"

"Volume ten, right?"

I nodded my head eagerly and looked up at him. He was taller than me as well which I forget to mention, at least a head taller.

Laughing, he reached for my hands and wrapped my fingers around the book.

"It's the first time I've ever seen anyone look that desperate over manga," he laughed, trying his best to stifle it.

I hid my face which was burning like mad behind the graphic novel, peeking at him from behind it. "U-Um sorry and...th-thank you."

"Why are you apologizing?" he asked, tilting his head at me.

I gasped, but to myself. I wasn't exactly sure either. Maybe it was just a habit. "I-I don't know..."

His eyes took me in for a bit. Was he trying to figure out my gender?

I wore my brown button up jacket over a long sleeved white shirt underneath and a pair of blue jeans which weren't baggy, but didn't cling tightly to my legs either.

Honestly, I wasn't very fond of people mistaking me for a boy. Whenever I told them I was a girl, they would always comment 'but you look like a boy.' Usually, I would blame my short hair for not growing longer, but then again I was partly at fault as well. The bad habit of dressing up in male clothes still remained with me.

"Um..."

He spoke before I could. "Hey, are you a boy...or a girl?"

I huffed a bit, angry that I was right in what he was going to ask me. Not wanting to hear the same thing over again, I gave him a different answer than I usually did with others, rather, it was the first time I gave someone a different answer.

"I'm a boy."

He seemed surprised at this, his eyes widening.

"O-Oh! Sorry I asked that-"the tone of his voice was apologetic and sincere. I appreciated it.

"I-It's okay, I'm mistaken for a girl a lot of times." _Not true._

"No, it's not that, it's just...when I first saw you," he reached up and scratched the back of his head sheepishly "I thought you were...really pretty."

I jerked my head in his direction at the comment.

_Did he just call me...?_

"I didn't expect you to be a boy though. My mistake," he blushed.

A sudden pang of guilt hit me. I had lied to him. Now I just felt stupid.

Unconsciously, I grabbed his hand and held on, afraid that he'd walk away before I had the chance to tell him. Another one of my bad habits, doing things without knowing it.

He looked at me startled. "What's wrong?"

"U-Um I'm sorry, but…I'm actually a girl," I muttered under my breath.

He didn't seem surprised by this and instead smiled at me. "I was wondering why you lied to me."

I blushed. He had known all along. "I-I really am sorry…"

He seemed thoughtful for a moment and then snapped his fingers as if he had just figured out something.

"I have an idea," he said brightly.

"W-What is it?"

"How about," he paused "you let me take you out on a date? I'll accept your apology then for lying to me."

"But…I don't even know you."

"Oh, that's easy." He extended his hand towards me. "I'm Sai."

I was reluctant, but took his hand anyway, shaking it. "I-I'm Hinata."

"Hinata? That's a cute name," he smiled. "I like it. Can I call you Hinata?"

I nodded.

"Great. Well, it's nice to meet you Hinata. I'm looking forward to our date."

"M-Me too."

"Is Sunday okay?"

"Y…Yes."

Walking past me, I felt his hand brush the side of my thigh. He had slipped something into my pocket.

"I'll see you then."

Once he left, I pulled out from my pocket a small piece of paper.

He had given me his number.

* * *

**A/N: OMG look everyone, it's Sai! Are any of you out there happy? If not, don't worry. Other characters will be introduced possibly in the next chapter or the one after that. Also, sorry if Sai seems occ or anything. I just looked up his info on wikipedia and based his personality from that. The same will be for the Akatsuki characters as well. I've never read the Shippuden manga, but I am watching the anime. **


	11. Hidden Black Sorcerer

**Chapter 11: Hidden Black Sorcerer**

When I got back to the academy dorms, I was greeted by a very excited Haku-san in my room who ran forward to hug me.

Uchiha-san sat up against the wall on his bed lazily, fishing through a bag of potato chips and munching on them.

"I-I'm back."

"I can see that," he said, holding his hand out with an impatient look on his face. "Did you get the book I asked for?"

I went through the plastic bag and pulled out the dictionary-sized book, placing it into his hand. "I-It's this one, right?"

He flipped to the first page. "Yeah, thanks."

_Sometimes, I don't understand him at all. _It was like he had a split-personality.

Haku-san followed me to my bed and sat down as well, bouncing on the edge of it.

I brushed past him to crawl over and lie down, my head sinking into the soft pillow. I was worn out from all the running around I did today.

Tugging at the bottom of my shirt, Haku-san hovered above me and looked down into my face, making my heart jump at the childish expression he had on.

_He's so adorable._ I had to admit I felt a little jealous. I'd give up an organ just to have his long hair and girlish looks.

"What is it? I asked, stifling back a yawn.

"Do you wanna go somewhere this Sunday with me?"

_Sunday_... "Ah, I'm sorry, I can't. I have a date this Sunday."

**Uchiha-san: **"What?"(this is his normal reaction cause he never thought she was the type to go out).

**Haku-san: **"WHAT?!" (this is _his_ normal reaction because he's jealous. Lol)

I sat up, startled by Haku-san's outburst. "Uh...is s-something wrong?"

"You didn't mention anything about a date earlier," said Uchiha-san, flipping to the next page of his book. "I didn't think you were the type to go out with guys unless it was necessary, knowing you."

"That's because...it is necessary."

He paused and looked up at me.

**Story in progress: **

"What are you, an IDIOT? That's the dumbest reason I've ever heard to go out with someone and a guy you just met too."

His words stabbed me like a piercing knife.

_He called me an idiot_..._again._

"And you, don't you have anything to say about this?" he called to Haku-san.

Haku-san sat in the far corner of the room, rocking back and fourth with a blank look on his face.

"H-Haku-san?"

As if he didn't hear me, he continued mumbling to himself, biting on the nail of his thumb.

Uchiha-san sighed and picked up the pillow from his bed, tossing it at the back of the other boy's head. "If you're gonna sulk, go do it in your room."

Ignoring him, Haku-san stomped over to me and grabbed my hands in his. The pretty boy stared at me hard.

"Are...are you really gonna go out with him?"

"W-Well, it's only one date a-and it's not like we're going to go steady or anything."

"But still-!"

"SHUT UP."

We both turned to Uchiha-san who had gone back to reading his book. "Have some courtesy at least," he muttered. "Idiots..."

"You-weren't you against this earlier?" cried Haku-san.

"Not really. I'm just saying that she should be careful. If she wants to go, then let her." He waved his hand dismissively at the both of us. "And if you guys still wanna talk about this, take it somewhere else, I can't concentrate."

Huffily, Haku-san grabbed my hand and pulled me out along with him.

* * *

"Something wrong Hinata-chan?" 

I looked up at Sai-san from my strawberry parfait, setting the spoon down on a napkin. "N-No, I'm fine."

_If you're talking about the fact that Haku-san and Uchiha-san are sitting in the booth behind us, then yeah_, was what I wanted to say.

_Why __**are **__they here?!_

This was my first date with a strange, but seemingly-nice guy. I didn't want anyone spying on us because well...it really spoiled the mood. On the other hand, I had to admit that it wasn't so bad since I was able to see Haku-san and Uchiha-san dressed in male casual wear.

Haku-san wore a long black jacket over a simple t-shirt while Uchiha-san had on a zip-up light-blue vest over a white turtleneck sweater. Both wore jeans and a pair of sunglasses as well.

_Even though they both look really handsome, they should at least get rid of the sunglasses. It only makes them look even more suspicious._

I didn't see any point in them hiding. It wasn't as if they knew Sai-san, right?

* * *

_**Meanwhile with Haku and Sasuke: **_

"Sasuke, did you see that?" hissed Haku. "That asshole's touching her hand!"

The Uchiha sighed and slumped back into his seat, wondering how the boy in front of him managed to drag him wherever he wanted him to.

"Keep your voice down or they'll hear us."

"But-look at that guy, he has no shame!" whispered the pretty boy through clenched teeth. He pointed at the person who sat in front of his roommate, making strangling motions with his hand.

_I somehow get the feeling that she knows we're here_...

* * *

_I somehow get the feeling that they know that I know that they're here_... 

"Uh...Hinata-chan?"

I jumped at the sound of his voice. "H-Huh?"

"Are you sure you're okay?" Sai-san stared at me with concern. "If you want, I won't force you to go on this date with me anymore, it's kinda sad anyways to see that you're not exactly enjoying yourself."

"Oh..." that sad look on his face, it really made my heart ache. "I-I'm sorry, really, it's not your fault, I'm just a l-little nervous."

He raised an eyebrow at this. "Really?"

Leaning forward, he put his hand on the table to support himself, his other hand holding me by my chin. "Your nervousness wouldn't happen to be the fact that you've already fallen for me, would it?" he asked, flashing a smile.

A loud bang came from behind us, also known as the table where Uchiha-san and Haku-san sat at.

"Um, l-let's go somewhere else." I pulled Sai-san to his feet, indicating for him to follow me.

* * *

"So...where do you want to go?" 

We stood just outside the café, deciding on our next destination.

"Oh, h-how about the arcade?"

"Sure," he smiled. "Whatever you like."

"Y-Yeah..." _again_..._that smile of his, there's something about it that bothers me._

Once we reached the arcade, Sai-san held open the door for me.

"After you, milady" he bowed.

I blushed at his display of being a gentleman and the people around us staring.

"Th-Thank you."

Leading me to a seat, he sat in the one across from me.

"Do you know how to play video games?" he called to me.

"A-A little!" I had to shout over the chattering of others around us. The place was packed with elementary school kids, mostly boys, and a few people our age. It was really noisy.

The game we played was called _Street Fighter_. I picked the character named Sakura because well...her name caught my attention. Sai-san chose a man called Ryu. We played for what seemed like hours before my character had fallen, the red bloomers underneath her skirt visible. Even though I lost, it was still pretty fun.

From out of nowhere, Sai-san appeared beside me, his hand on my shoulder.

"I win. Now how about my prize?"

"I-Is there something you want?"

He bent down, his face close. "Will a kiss do?"

Before I could say anything, I saw Haku-san standing behind him, holding a chair over his head with the intent to kill.

_What is he doing?! _

Luckily Uchiha-san tackled him from the side, the both of them rolling behind the counter where a staff member stood.

_I'm going to pretend I didn't see that._

"Just kidding," he chuckled. "Hey, you wanna go to the amusement park next? The arcade's kind of boring now."

I quickly nodded my head, eager to get away from the two. If Sai-san knew...I'd be embarrassed for life.

We took the bus at the closest stop. It was packed as well, which left us with the only choice of standing.

I held onto the ring attached to the ceiling above to keep from falling. Sai-san stood behind me, our backs together.

"Sorry, if I had a car I would've driven us instead."

"I-It's okay, besides I'll get m-more exercise this way." I'd meant to say that as a light joke.

He said nothing.

After about ten minutes, the bus pulled to the side, the doors opening. Sai-san went ahead first, grabbing onto my hand.

As soon as we got off, he turned to me with a smile on his face.

"What should we ride first?"

In the past two hours, we rode the roller coaster, the teacups, got lost in the mirror house and ate takoyaki. It was perfect for the cold weather. The hot dumplings warmed my mouth while at the same time melting in it.

Walking together was nice. Sai-san would once in a while space out then ask me if I was having a good time.

I smiled at him, nodding. "I'm a having a lot of fun, thank you."

"That's good."

Finishing the set of takoyaki that we had shared, I threw it into the trashcan.

I felt a tug at my sleeve.

"How about a purikura?"

"P-Purikura?"

"Yeah, in memory of our first date together."

I stared at the photo booth. A couple came out, smiling and cuddling with each other.

I blushed.

"Don't worry, it's not like I'm going to force you to be my girlfriend," he said as if he'd read my mind.

"I-I wasn't-!"

"C'mon, let's go."

* * *

He gave a low whistle appreciatively, looking over the photo set that had been printed out for us. 

"These came out good. You look really cute in this one here," he pointed.

_C-Cute?_ Reluctantly, I leaned over to look. All of a sudden, Sai-san burst into laughter.

He was laughing so hard that he held onto his stomach, bending over.

My face went red. Was he making fun of me?

After a few minutes, he calmed down and regained his posture, wiping at the tears in his eyes.

"S-Sorry Hinata-chan, it's just that...you're so cute that it's funny," he laughed. "To be honest, you're the first person I've met who's actually interesting."

"I-Interesting? What do you mean by that?"

He waved his hand at me nonchalantly. "It's fine if you don't understand."

_He's nice, but_..._a little strange._

"Let's go on the Ferris wheel next," he said, dragging me along with him.

* * *

In line, it was our turn next. By the time we got to the Ferris wheel, it had already gotten dark. The man there was about to help me on, but Sai-san gently pushed his hand away. 

"I'll take it from here Ojii-san."

He took my hand in his and pulled me up.

"After you, _princess_."

I took it that the girls behind us had heard since they all squealed.

Blushing, I got in and sat down, embarrassed at the sudden display of affection.

Closing the door to the cable car, Sai-san sat in the seat across from me...again.

Did he not like me?

_Maybe he's repulsed by the way I'm dressed._ I couldn't blame him though. I wore a sweatshirt over a t-shirt with some faded old jeans that were found in my closet this morning. Rather, I didn't have much of a choice since most of my clothes were dirty. Had I gotten more time, I would've done my laundry. He on the other hand wore a black jacket and pants.

With a sudden shake, the car slowly lifted up which meant that the ride had started. I stared out the window as we rose higher, high enough to see the city beneath us. The view was breathtaking. It was like staring down at a sea of lights, covered by the night sky.

"Nice right? Looks like I brought you here on time."

I turned to Sai-san. "Y-You mean...you had this planned out?"

He smiled. "Obviously."

My heart ached once again. For some reason, the expressions on his face made me...want to cry. I wasn't sure why though.

He caught my stare. "What's wrong? Am I so handsome that you can't help but look at me?"

I didn't answer him. "Sai-san, why do you..."

The teasing look on his face disappeared, replaced by a more serious expression. "Why do I what?"

"Why do you...pretend to smile?"

The minute I said those words, the look on his face, it was like a mask being broken.

He quickly recovered and flashed me another one of his smiles. I didn't like it, it made me feel uncomfortable. It made me feel like...I was being lied to.

"What are you talking about? I'm not faking anything."

"Yes you are."

He kept silent.

"Because...when you smile...you don't look like you mean it. When a person smiles, they should...put their feelings into it, not force it."

He ran his fingers through his dark hair. "So, what exactly are you trying to say?"

"When...when you smile like that, it...makes me really sad."

Throughout the whole ride, Sai-san stared at me for the longest time ever, that clouded look he once had in his eyes gone.

* * *

**A/N: Well yeah, this chapter is what you'd call a SaiHina moment. Sorry for those of you who dislike this pairing but I have my reasons. Expect drama in this fic. Not everything's gonna be a comedy. Next update is unknown at the moment. As for the name of the chapters, I know it sounds weird, but with the later chapters, you'll probably understand why I called them that.**


	12. Breaking the Spell

**Chapter 12: Breaking the Spell**

Once the ride was over, Sai-san got off first and held his hand out to me, a blank expression on his face.

A sudden jolt of fear ran through me

_Oh no, did I make him mad?_

I was reluctant, but he instead grabbed my hand as if answering for me. The sudden pull caused me to trip over the step and surprisingly, Sai-san caught me, his arms wrapped around my body tightly.

_What_-

There were whistles from the people in line who called to us to get a room or kiss each other.

I blushed and glanced over at Sai-san who still held me.

_Why isn't he letting go?_

Lifting me by the waist, he threw me over his shoulder like a bag of flour and calmly walked away, hundreds of witnesses staring after us.

_This is so embarrassing!_

"S-S-Sai-san, you can l-let me down n-now," I stammered, wanting to hide in the ground from the looks people gave us. "I-I'm heavy aren't I?"

"No," he answered. "You're not heavy at all."

"O-Oh..." That feeling in my heart stirred again, only it wasn't painful, but...somewhat warm.

He continued to hold onto me, the sound of his footsteps echoing in my ear. It made me wonder how long he was going to keep me up on his shoulder.

After walking through the park for about fifteen minutes, it seemed as if there were less people compared to this afternoon.

Without warning, Sai-san set me down on a bench and took his seat beside me, not meeting my face.

We said nothing and continued to sit there awkwardly.

I decided to break the ice first. "I-I'm sorry."

"...About what?"

"U-Um earlier, th-that is-I-I'm sorry if w-what I said earlier made y-you mad so p-please don't...be angry."

Sai-san lifted his head up at this and stared at me, confused. "I'm not mad, who said I was?"

"B-But you didn't say anything s-so I-"

He suddenly took my hand in his. Startled, I was about to pull away until he slowly brought my hand to the side of his face, staring up at me, our eyes meeting. I could honestly say that he resembled Uchiha-san in a lot of ways, especially his dark eyes. The only difference was the lonely look he had. It was the look of someone who had been abandoned.

"You can see, right? You can see that I'm not mad at you. On the contrary, I'm actually...really happy." A childish smile graced his lips as he pulled me in towards him, the feel of his lips right beside my ear.

I was far from just blushing, I was about to faint.

"S-Sai-san?" I managed to squeak out.

"_If possible...I'd like to see you again_."

My face burned red. "W-What?"

He slipped his arms from around me and before parting, he added "_I think your friends are here to pick you up_." As he stood, he waved goodbye to me. "See you later Hinata-chan."

The view of his back disappeared from view, leaving only the faint glow of light from the lamp pole beside the bench.

The sound of leaves rustling reached my ears. I turned my head towards the large bush from where the sound came from and out tumbled Uchiha-san and Haku-san.

They sat there and stared up at me, blinking.

"Um...I already knew that you two were following us."

They both blushed and looked to the side opposite of each other.

"I-I only came because this stupid transvestite dragged me along with him."

"B-But it's only because I was worried about you! Sasuke wanted to come along too, he was practically begging me!"

"Wha-! No I wasn't!"

"Yes you were! Don't try to pin all the blame on me!"

The two continued to quarrel and hit each other.

It was hard not to, but I laughed anyways, covering my mouth.

They immediately stopped.

"What's so funny?" the both of them asked in unison.

I laughed even harder at this, holding onto the front of my stomach.

"Stop laughing!" Uchiha-san cried, an angry and embarrassed look on his face.

I wiped at the tears in my eyes. "I-I'm sorry, it's just that-when I see you two fighting like that, it makes me really happy!" I laughed.

**Sasuke and Haku**: _What a weird girl_.

**Sasuke**: _She really is weird_.

**Haku**: _But that's what makes her so cute_.

Once I finished laughing, I grabbed Uchiha-san's hand and Haku-san's.

Both their faces turned red.

"Your hands are so cold," I commented.

"That's only because we've been waiting outside for you the whole time," Uchiha-san muttered.

"You practically held that guy's hand all day," muttered Haku-san.

I looked up at Haku-san and noticed that he had gotten taller. Uchiha-san as well.

_So __**that's**__ why they seem so different lately_.

"That's true, but...I'm holding your hand now, aren't I?"

His face became even redder at this.

"Let's just go home already," Uchiha-san interrupted causing Haku-san to glare death daggers at him.

We nodded our heads in agreement.

Together, the three of us walked back to the academy, hand in hand.

Speaking of hands, the feel of Sai-san's hands on mine still lingered there, gentle and warm.

_I'll give him a call later._

* * *

I awoke the next morning to the feeling of my numbing right arm. 

_Heavy_...

Turning on my side, I opened my eyes to stare into the beautiful face of Sakura, who was still peacefully asleep.

She wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled her body in closer against mine, burying her face into my chest.

"Mmmm Hinata...don't. We can't do _that_ here," she smiled blushing.

_What is she __**dreaming**__ about?! _

"S-Sakura..."

Her eyes shot open the instant I said her name. "Oh, you're finally awake?" she yawned.

_I should be asking you that, but I'm afraid to._ "More importantly, why are you in my bed..._again_?"

She sat up, the blanket falling from her body to reveal a see through night dress with thin straps and white lace. Thankfully she still had her bra and underwear on.

"Wh-What are you w-w-**wearing**?!" I cried, backing up against the head board of my bed.

She pouted and put a finger to her lips and in a childish voice said "I just wanted to show you some sleeping lingerie I bought, don't you think it's sexy?"

_Is she crazy? How can she wear something like that to my room? There's also the fact that Uchiha-san's in here too._

I was sweating bullets by this point.

I got up off the bed and went over to my closet to find something, anything that would cover her up. She got up as well.

In a panic, I was about to turn around to tell her to get under the blanket, but it was too late.

"Sakura, wait-"

"Huh?" she asked looking puzzled.

The sound of the doorknob turning made us both freeze. The bathroom door was pushed open and out came Uchiha-san, drying his hair with a towel. The only problem was that, he didn't have on a shirt _or_ his wig.

_Uh-oh_.

"Hey, we're out of shampoo so make sure you go and buy some more la...ter."

He froze dead in his tracks once he saw Sakura.

Sakura returned the stare, her eyes wide open.

An awkward silence followed and the two continued to stare. Finally, Sakura passed out.

* * *

"Well, what are we supposed to tell her now?" asked Uchiha-san, cleaning out his ear with a cotton swab. 

"I-I'm not so sure myself. Sakura hates men, so there's a chance that she won't let this matter slide so easily." I pulled up the covers over her delicate and petite frame. She shifted slightly, an uncomfortable look on her face.

"Why does she hate men?"

"I don't know either, but...it was apparently because of her hate for them that she came here in the first place."

Uchiha-san raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

I nodded.

"If she hates men, then she hates them. We can't exactly do anything about it," he shrugged.

"B-But I'm sure if I talk to her, maybe she'll listen so..."

"_So_?"

"So...don't worry." I put my hand over my chest. "I'll protect you guys. Cross my heart and hope to die."

Uchiha-san gave me that look that told me how weird he thought I was.

I blushed. "I-I'm sorry, you p-probably don't like being told by a girl that she'll protect you."

"It's not a matter of liking it or not, just..." he ruffled the top of my head and smiled at me. "...it feels like I can actually believe in your words for some reason."

My heart did a triple flip, causing me to wobble momentarily.

"W-Whoa!" Uchiha-san caught me, his arm around my waist. "Are you okay?"

I immediately pulled myself away from him, trying hard to hide my trembling.

"What's wrong?"

"N-Nothing," I assured him, waving my hand at him. "I-I'm fine."

He scratched the back of his head. "Whatever you say." Walking over to the dresser, he pulled open the top drawer and took out an over-sized t-shirt, pulling it over his head. "I'm going out to buy some stuff, so if she wakes up before I get back, try stalling her for a bit."

"O-Okay."

In a few minutes, Uchiha-san had left.

Relieved that he was finally gone, I sat down on the edge of my bed, the mattress beneath me squeaking.

"Something's been wrong with my heart lately; maybe I should go and see a doctor..."

"Are you sure that isn't love your talking about?"

I jumped up startled.

"S-Sakura, you were a-awake?"

She sat up and frowned at me. "Of course I was. How could I fall asleep knowing there's a guy in the same room as me?" She crawled over to me and put her hands on my shoulders.

"S-Sakura?"

"Hinata," she said. Her voice was firm. "Did you find out just recently about him or...have you known since the day he transferred here?"

I turned away, not wanting to look her in the face.

"Don't avoid me, please, just tell me the truth."

"I...I've known since his transfer, but about that-please don't tell anyone!" I pleaded, taking her hands in my own. "E-Even if he is male, Uchiha-san isn't a bad person."

"_All_ men are bad!" she cried. "They're disgusting, the worst, the lowest form of life ever created! How can you even _stand_ to defend him?"

"Just listen to me-"

"-And that Uchiha is the most revolting drag queen I've ever seen, I can't believe I was even fooled-"

_**SLAP**_.

The sound was loud enough to drown out the ticking of the clock.

"Hinata...you-"

"Even...Even if you are my friend, I won't let you say anything bad about Uchiha-san!"

She held the side of her face where signs of a red mark were appearing. Tears filled the corners of her eyes as she stood up and left the room.

I stared down at my red hand.

* * *

"Well, the only thing left to do is to go in." 

"You're right," I agreed. "If they know, I'll shove you out the window."

Uchiha-san held onto the frame of the doorway to keep from falling.

"You-You don't have to put it like _that_!"

"O-Oh no, of course I meant I'd push out and _onto _the mattress. You don't have to worry," I smiled just to reassure him.

"No, actually, that makes me even _more _worried."

"Okay Uchiha-san, I-I'll go in first."

I slid open the door and stepped into the classroom where gazes were directed towards me. Uchiha-san came in next beside me where half the looks were directed between us both.

Everyone greeted us as usual with a smile on their face.

Uchiha-san leaned over to whisper to me. "Looks like your friend didn't tell."

I nodded in reply, finding it odd that she hadn't told.

_Not that I wanted her to_..._I'd better find her and talk to her later_.

The day went smoothly as I'd hoped it would.

* * *

_**Sakura's POV**_: 

"He should be here by now," I muttered to myself, staring down at my wristwatch.

Earlier, I had slipped a note into his desk for us to meet up on the roof, which he should've gotten already.

I slid down on my knees, the ground cold and hard. Waiting was tiring, especially when I tried coming up with things to say to him.

The sound of the doorknob rattling reached my ears. The door opened to reveal the Uchiha-san that had my Hinata all flustered.

_Damn bastard_.

"Sorry," he apologized, swiping a strand of hair away from his feminine face which made it hard for me to believe that he was actually a guy. "I forgot where the stairwell to the roof was so I got a little lost."

I ignored whatever lame excuse he gave me and decided to come out with it. "Look, I didn't call you up here to be your friend or anything; I just want to set a few things straight."

"Okay. What is it then?"

I took in a deep breath. "First off, if it wasn't for the fact that Hinata had asked me to not tell, you'd be kicked out of this academy by now. Secondly, just because I won't tell, I'm not going to help you either if you get into any trouble. And thirdly, since you're rooming with Hinata, if I find out that you did _anything_ indecent to her, I'll kill you and throw you into Tokyo Bay. Got it?"

"Sure."

"HUH?"

"Those are the terms, right? So you won't tell my secret?"

"Uh-y-yeah."

"That's fine then." He turned around and started to walk away.

_That's it? Just like that, he's giving up so easily?_

"W-Wait!"

He turned his head to look at me. "What?"

"U-Um...you actually wouldn't...do anything to Hinata?"

Looking offended, he said "What kind of guy do you think I am?"

"Well, don't you like her?"

"Of course I do, but I'd never do anything like that to a friend."

_A friend? Wait a minute; don't tell me he misunderstood me, unless_-

"You...you only think of her as a...friend?"

"What else would I think of her as? She's not an object."

I couldn't help but laugh at the sudden revelation.

_This is too funny, the poor girl. It's probably best if I told her to give up on him._

"She's a very good friend to me right now, so I wouldn't want to do anything that would hurt her or ruin our relationship. I also...like the fact that she's different from other girls and actually treats me like a human being."

I laughed again. "What? Aren't you being a little corny right now?"

He looked thoughtful for a bit and then said "So what? It's true isn't it? You know what I mean, right?"

A part of me knew what he was talking about, but the other half didn't want to admit it.

Hinata certainly was different from other girls, but not just in physical appearance. When she talked to a person, she looked directly into their eyes; she would earnestly listen, acknowledged their presence, and show unlimited kindness towards them. That's the kind of person she was.

Is that what he meant? The guy had been here for less than three months and he knew this much about her already?

_I've known her for a year_.

He was about to leave once again, but I called out to him.

"Wait! Tell me your real name! I-It can't be _Setsuna_, I'm sure of that!"

He turned around with a smirk on his face. "Oh? I thought you didn't want to have anything to do with me?"

"I-I don't care so just tell me!"

The smirk fell from his face and was instead replaced with a small smile.

"It's Sasuke."

The minute he left, I wobbled over to the closest fence and held on to keep from falling.

To be honest, it's been at least four years since I last talked to a guy. What had _really _surprised me was how naturally I talked with him.

Whenever a guy on the street came up to hit on me, I'd immediately knock him over with a punch. Even a small touch was enough to make me break their spine in half.

"So why is it that...I can talk so naturally with him?"

I clutched tightly at the front of my shirt, the pounding of my heart loud to my ears.

"Something's definitely wrong with me."

* * *

**A/N: Well people, here's the one-sided SasuSaku part. Don't worry, he's not going to end up with Sakura, someone else is. Oh, and before anyone questions or comments that Sakura is a lesbian, she is NOT. I just want to make this clear to everyone who keep asking that. That scene with her and Hinata in the bed, she was actually awake the whole time and pretended that she was having a perverted dream, that's all there is to it. The girl likes to tease. Also, I'd appreciate it if everyone kept character bashing to themselves, especially Sakura since I happen to like her. **

**Well, the next chapter is still undecided, but the good thing is ANOTHER character will appear in the next chapter or two. See you until then! And thanks to everyone who reviewed, much appreciated! **


	13. Past Experience

**Chapter 13: Past Experience**

_**Sakura's POV:**_

The day I started hating men was in my first year of junior high.

There was this senpai I had a crush on who was in the basketball club. Everyday, like the silly lovesick girl I was, I stood just outside the gymnasium doors hidden, and silently watched him practice. At that time, I was a really shy girl which must seem hard to believe.

During those moments, when he played basketball, I'd always thought he looked beautiful. The way he moved smoothly across the court as if he was on air, the way he outstretched his arms to make a basket, the glistening sweat on his face, and the determined look in his eyes, everything about him seemed flawless.

Or at least, that's what I thought.

* * *

_**Haruno Sakura-12 years old**_:

"Sakura, if you keep staring at him like that, you'll be branded as a stalker."

"What did you say?!" I turned around and pinched Megumi's cheek, causing her to let out a cry of pain.

"Ow! I was being serious you know. From an outsider's point of view, you really look like a stalker just from standing here."

I blushed, wondering if that was how people really saw me. "No one asked you," I muttered.

She patted my shoulder and let out a deep sigh. "Honestly speaking, you should give up on him. You do have the advantage of being really pretty and all, but the guy's _too_ popular. Think about all the enemies you'd make if you went out with him."

"I know...I know that, but..."

_I can't help but look at him._

Hooking her arm around mine, she dragged me away from the gym doors.

* * *

"You're _still_ watching Sakamoto at basketball practice?" Natsuki asked with a hint of disbelief. She flipped back her dark brown hair. "Megumi's right though, you shouldn't go after a guy like him. Try picking someone more normal."

The classrooms were hot that afternoon since the school's air-conditioning was still being fixed. I fanned myself with the uchiwa I'd gotten at the Tanabata festival in Okinawa.

"And what exactly is your definition of normal?" I asked.

She looked around the room at all the boys who were half dead either on the floor or their desks from the immense heat.

"Oh, how about Hiroyuki?"

"No."

"Fukuzawa?"

"No."

"Yoshitomo?"

"NO."

I stood up, slamming down my fan on the desk.

"I've already told you, I only have eyes for Sakamoto-senpai. _Only_ him."

She threw back her head and let out a breath of exasperation.

* * *

_He really is popular. That's the fifth confession he received today._

"I'm sorry," he apologized "but there's someone I already like."

Random girl number one looked up at him with her big and shiny eyes, willing them to tear up for a cute act.

I felt like barfing.

"Am I...no good enough then?" she asked, her voice sounding hopeful. "Is this girl better than _me_?"

He looked down to avoid the sad look on her face. "I'm really sorry..."

The instant those words left his lips, the girl ran away sobbing, her hand cupped over her mouth.

I took notice of the sad look on senpai's face as well.

My heart had started beating just at the sight of it.

_He's so handsome, even his sad expression is beautiful._

Sighing, I placed my hand over my chest to calm down the thumping.

_No good, if I pass out now just from this I'll never get my chance to talk to him. _

"U-Um excuse me, is someone th-there?"

_Eeek! He found me already?_

I hid in the bushes beside the entrance to the school, although, I don't think I concealed myself too well since the people who walked by were staring.

"H-Hello?"

_Oh forget it! I might as well let him know I exist!_

I stood up to climb out but instead tripped over a large root protruding from the ground. In a few seconds, I was flat on my face. It hurt, but not as bad as I thought it would, also, I had dirt in my mouth. I really didn't want to get up and let him see me so I just laid there.

This was probably the most humiliating thing that had ever happened in my whole life. Dying seemed like a good thing at the moment.

_Please forget what you just saw and go away, please, please, please_...

"A-Ano, are you...alright?"

I immediately sat up at his voice. It was a conditioned reflex.

There before me stood my prince. He stared down at me with a worried look on his face. Lightly tanned skin made his blue eyes and soft hair stand out.

"S-Sakamoto-senpai..."

"Ah, aren't you the one who's always watching the basketball team practice?"

My face burned red.

_H-He knew?!_

Smiling, he said while blushing "I wasn't sure if you knew, but I would sometimes watch you too."

My head was ready to explode from embarrassment.

* * *

After that day, senpai and I met each other regularly at the school courtyard to eat our lunches together.

We sat on a wooden bench beside a small garden filled with white irises, surrounded by a green-wire fence. The scent was sweet and calming, it made me feel light, as if I was on air.

"Haruno, I'm really glad that you've actually agreed to eating lunch with me these past two weeks, it was getting lonely."

"Huh? But aren't you popular senpai? It shouldn't be a problem for you to find someone to eat lunch with."

"Me, popular?" he asked pointing to himself. "What are you talking about?"

_Oh, I see, he's the dense kind_. "N-Nevermind."

"About what you said though Haruno, when I said the word lonely, what was your first thought?"

I pondered on the question for a bit. Was it a riddle or a serious question? "W-Well, I thought maybe you didn't like to be alone, people normally don't anyway."

"That's true, but just because I'm lonely it doesn't mean just anyone will do to keep me company. I'd like someone I can easily talk to and have fun with."

"S-Senpai, you mean..."

"I have a lot of fun when I'm with you," he smiled. "You're a very cute girl Haruno, I wonder why I didn't notice you before. You always walked past me in the halls didn't you? But I never saw your face since you always had your head down."

"Th-That's because..."

"Hm? What is it?"

"N-Nothing."

* * *

"Kyaaah! Sakamoto-senpai is so cool! He made another basket!"

"He's the best player on the team, what do you expect?"

"I heard he's going to Higurashi high for their basketball team over there."

"Didn't they make it to the nationals last year?"

"If senpai goes, he'll definitely have a spot on the regulars."

Today, senpai's team was playing a game against Aiba middle school.

I stood far away from the doors where most girls were at blocking the entrance. I couldn't see him at all.

_This sucks, what was the point in coming if I can't even see him?_

I kicked at the ground beneath me. The whistle from inside was blown and the buzzer went off. All of a sudden, loud cheering swept the area. The girls at the door were cheering too, jumping in excitement.

_Our team must've won._

I let out a breath of relief. As much as I wanted to congratulate senpai, there was no way of me getting through that crowd. The thought of even trying it seemed stupid itself.

_I'll just tell him later._

Surprised cries came from the crowd of girls at the doors. I turned around wondering what had made them do that only to see senpai pushing his way through and apologizing.

He looked around as if searching for something. The moment his eyes landed on me, he came running over and threw his arms around me in an embrace.

The shocked looks on everyone's faces were by far amusing. I couldn't help but feel a sense of victory and an amount of shyness.

"Haruno, where were you? I didn't see you in the crowd so I got worried since you said you'd come and watch me."

Senpai was so tall that whenever I thought about kissing him, I'd have to be the one to stand up and reach because pulling him down at my level would only be a bother to him.

He leaned down and put his forehead on my shoulder.

"I'm sorry; I couldn't get through so I wasn't able to see the match."

"I thought you hadn't come."

"I apologized didn't I?"

The look on senpai's face, he had the look of someone who had been abandoned.

It was as if there was a small cage tightening around my heart.

I hugged him back.

If someone were to ask me why I was in love with senpai, I don't think I could give an answer right off the bat.

There were just too many.

* * *

"Sakura-san! Sakamoto-senpai's here to see you!" one of my classmates called from across the room.

I spotted senpai by the doorway, handsome as usual. He waved to me.

There were whistles and cheering around the room. Standing up, I rushed over to senpai and pulled him away from the noise.

* * *

"I didn't expect the first-years to be that lively," he chuckled, taking a drink from his half-empty water bottle. "Seeing everyone like that reminds me of when I was a first-year myself. Those days were really fun."

"Senpai, you're talking like an old man," I nudged his arm with my elbow.

He winced in pain, obviously faking it. "Really?"

"Really."

A gentle breeze blew by, causing the grass and tree branches to sway in motion for a quick moment before dying down.

I tucked back a strand of hair that hung in front of my face. Now was the moment. If anything else, this was probably the only chance I'd get-**ever**. At least without the girls that constantly surrounded him twenty-four seven.

He took another sip from his water bottle.

Taking in a deep breath, I was about to confess when senpai suddenly spit out his drink, as if choking on it.

"S-Senpai, are you okay-?"

I noticed it then.

He hadn't heard me.

His eyes were focused somewhere else, something in front of him.

I slowly followed his line of view to see a boy with light-brown hair walking alongside a few other boys, laughing together.

_Isn't that Uehara-kun? _

Uehara-kun was a boy in my class. Everything about him was average, at least according to the girls. His looks, grades, and athletic ability. I couldn't say I personally knew him well or anything since he once asked to borrow my notes for class. That was the only interaction I'd had with him so far throughout the year. He was mostly known for being friendly towards everyone.

_Wait, he is looking at __**him**__, right?_

I waved my hand in front of senpai's face to get his attention. It took him a few seconds before he finally snapped out of his dream-like trance.

"H-Haruno?" he asked looking quite startled. "W-What's wrong?"

_I should be asking __**you**__ that._

"Senpai, do you know Uehara-kun?"

His face grew extremely red at this.

"H-Huh? Wh-What are y-you talking a-about?"

I couldn't help but frown. There was definitely something wrong with this.

_That's not the kind of reaction I expected at all._

* * *

"Hmm? What about Uehara-kun?" Natsuki asked, her eyes wide and curious. "You switching over to him or something?" She leaned over and whispered secretively "I heard he has a huge crush on you."

I smacked the back of her head.

"Don't be stupid, it's nothing like that. I'm just asking if you know anything about him and Sakamoto-senpai, like their...relationship maybe?"

She sat at her desk deep in thought, rocking back and forth in her chair. As if a light-bulb went off in her head, she said "Ah, your talking about _that_ kind of relationship?"

I shrugged.

Drumming her fingers along the top of her desk, she flipped her dark-brown hair over her shoulder. "Well, rumors have it that the two were seen coming out from the student council room after _two_ hours."

"There's nothing wrong with that, they were probably helping out the student council...right?"

She raised a finger as if to point out her meaning. "Is that what you think? But get this; I heard that Sakamoto and the student council president are good friends, _and _that the president willingly let him have free access to the room. Besides that, those two aren't even in the student council, what else could they possibly do in a room together for two hours other than- "

I stuffed the jam-filled bread I had bought earlier at lunch into her mouth, cutting her off.

"You can stop now."

She pulled out the bun and finished chewing the bit that was left in her mouth, swallowing it. "Hey, you didn't even let me finish!"

"What else is there to say?"

"Believe it or not, I saw it with my own eyes and-"

I gulped.

"-saw Sakamoto-senpai forcing himself on Uehara-kun."

* * *

Confronting senpai the next day was harder than I thought. It was nerve-wrecking. I felt ready to collapse.

"What's wrong Haruno? You're sweating." He reached out to wipe the sweat that beaded my forehead. I unconsciously smacked away his hand, not realizing it until my own hand stung with numbing-pain.

"S-Sorry!"

He gave a sympathetic smile. "It's okay. I don't blame you for lashing out at me like that. Today's weather is a bit hot," he said while fanning himself with his shirt.

"Y-Yeah...it's...really hot..."

_Oh god, what am I doing? I can't do it after all_.

A look of worry came over his face. "Haruno, a-are you sick? D-Do you need to go to the infirmary? Wh-Where does it hurt?" he asked looking somewhat panicked.

I smiled. For a senpai, he was _too_ obliviously adorable.

"I'm fine senpai."

"Really? Are you sure?"

I nodded. He breathed a sigh of relief and ruffled the top of my head.

"I was worried there for a second."

The senpai I knew was kind.

He was handsome, caring, and considerate of others.

I was positive that he wasn't...or at least I hoped he wasn't.

* * *

I took the initiative to approach Uehara-kun the next day.

"Uehara-kun, I need to talk to you."

He stared up at me from his seat, confused. "H-Huh? But class is going to start soon and-"

"That doesn't matter, just come with me."

I took him up to the school rooftop. People hardly went up there so I could guarantee the privacy we needed.

We sat down, our backs against the metal fence.

"So-what did you want to talk about?" he asked after a long period of silence.

I hesitated.

"Do you...know Sakamoto-senpai?"

"Eh? Which one? I know a lot of Sakamoto's."

"The one on the basketball team."

He pondered on the thought for a bit and suddenly snapped his fingers.

"Oh! I know who you're talking about now! You mean Yuu nii-san?"

"Yuu...nii-san?"

He smiled at me sheepishly. "We're next-door neighbors. I've called him that ever since I was little." He looked really embarrassed at the moment just sitting there.

"So...are you childhood friends?"

"S-Something like that."

I kept quiet, thinking about what to say next.

"Is he a good kisser?"

His face went completely red. Looking flustered, he cried "H-He kissed me first! It's not like I wanted to-!"

With a gasp, he put his hands over his mouth.

There was no point though in doing it since he'd already let the secret slip.

It was exactly as I thought.

I stood up, ready to leave, but was held down firmly by Uehara-kun.

"Haruno-wait! It's not what you think; th-the one I like is you! Not Yuu nii-san!"

I didn't say anything, I couldn't.

"I've always liked you ever since I first saw you at the entrance ceremony!"

"..."

"I was...too shy to talk to you though."

"Shut...up."

Everything was so confusing right now. I didn't know who to punch, Senpai or Uehara-kun.

"Haruno..."

"Uehara-kun...you don't know how lucky you are."

* * *

The minute I got home, I locked myself up in my room and cried my eyes out all day, clutching my pillow tightly.

Unanswered questions ran through my head during my moment of sadness as well.

If senpai really felt that way about Uehara-kun, then what was I to him?

Did he only see me as a sister of some sort? A friend?

Was there no room in his heart for him to see me as a possible lover?

I didn't understand anything at the moment, my mind was a mess right now and thinking any harder would only worsen it.

I did my best to muffle my sobs.

Sleep came faster than I thought it would.

* * *

The following day, I decided to avoid seeing senpai.

He called out to me, but I ignored him.

Another time was when he came to my classroom and asked for me.

"Is Haruno here?" he asked.

A boy in my class stood at the doorway and pointed at me. "She's here."

I immediately got up from my seat and pushed my way past senpai out the door. He looked shocked as everyone else did.

"Haruno-"

I quickened my footsteps to get away from him. He responded by following after me as well.

"Wait-I need to talk to you!" he cried.

The both of us ran down the hallways for what seemed like hours until we got outside, out of breath.

I looked from the corner of my eye to see him reaching out to touch my arm.

"Haruno-tell me, why are you-"

I slapped his hand away.

"Don't touch me!"

We stood there silent, only the howling of the wind heard.

Why did it have to turn out like this?

"Senpai...you like Uehara-kun...don't you?"

From the sound of his voice, I could already see his reaction.

"W-Wha-?"

"Are you going to deny it?"

"..."

"If you won't answer, then at least answer this. Why did you even _bother_ associating with me? It's not just because I watched you at your practices is it? It has to be something else."

That was something I really wanted to know. Out of all the girls in the school, he paid attention to me the most, as if I was special. The question though was why?

"_Haruno-wait! It's not what you think; th-the one I like is you! Not Yuu nii-san!"_

"_I've always liked you ever since I first saw you at the entrance ceremony, honestly!"_

"_Ah, aren't you the one who's always watching the basketball team practice?"_

"_I wasn't sure if you knew, but I would sometimes watch you too."_

Everything came together at that moment, the reason why Sakamoto-senpai even acknowledged me, it all made sense.

Visiting the classroom everyday to come and get me, eating lunch together and hanging out.

"Senpai, you only hung out with me...because you knew Uehara-kun liked me?"

He froze on the spot, a nervous look on his face.

"Were you trying to make him jealous or something?"

"..."

"Why won't you say anything?!"

If it were possible, I'd have beaten the living daylights out of him.

"You're...right. That way my intention at first, but after getting to know you, you're a much sweeter girl than I made you out to be."

_Don't._

"It's not that I like men, in fact I prefer girls, but...the only boy I would ever like is Takashi, or as you call him, Uehara-kun."

_Stop it._

"When I found out though that he liked you, I can't even began to describe how jealous I was."

_Please._

"I started asking people around the school who _Haruno Sakura_ was and what you even looked like. When I noticed you that day by the gym doors, I thought of how lucky I was to finally find you. I wanted to see exactly what kind of girl made Takashi's face go crimson red like that."

_Don't say anything_..._that'll make me want to cry_.

"...boy?" I mumbled.

He hadn't heard me.

"What?"

"Do I have to be a _boy_ in order for you to like me?!" I practically screamed.

Startled, he took a step back.

"Haruno, what are you talking about? Don't say such a crazy thing."

"But its true isn't it?! You like boys don't you?!"

Senpai smiled at me sadly. He came forward, holding his arms out to me.

"Don't cry."

"Shut up! I'm not cry-"

Hot tears rolled down my cheeks, blurring my vision.

"...ing."

He walked towards me. I moved back.

"Don't come near me you-you _fag_! Pervert! Cheater! Liar!"

The one thing about senpai was that no matter what he did, it was always graceful. Just like the way he held me in his arms right now.

I loved the body warmth, the protective feeling he gave me.

He was my prince.

My arms lay limp at my side. I would've banged his chest with my fists by now, but I couldn't do anything. I didn't have the will to.

He held me so close, close so that I couldn't see his face.

"You...have every right to be angry at me. I don't blame you."

I sniffed, holding back my sobs that were ready to burst.

"I've known for awhile now that you've liked me and I used that to my advantage at first, but I didn't think I'd regret it later."

"..."

"If...If I'd met you first...I probably would've fallen in love with you."

"Is that an excuse?"

"No, it's not."

"Then how come you can't love me now?"

"You know why." He sighed. "Haruno-no..._Sakura_, you'll find someone much better than me."

"No I won't."

"How can you be so sure? You're only twelve years old; you have a long life ahead of you."

"There's no one better than you. I've only looked at you all this time."

"Yes there is. Much, _much_ better than me. He'll treat you with the love and kindness you deserve. And that's something I can never give you."

"Do you...love him that much?"

Even though I couldn't see his face, I could tell he was smiling.

"Yes."

His answer was straightforward and honest.

"Even...when you're aware of how much I like you?"

"...I'm sorry."

I pushed myself away from him.

"Don't pity me, please."

* * *

_**Courtyard:**_

"...and that was the last time I ever saw my senpai." I sighed, and placed my hand on Hinata's shoulder. "So, what did you think of my story?"

The Hyuga sat there, tears forming in the corners of her eyes as she clutched tightly onto a tissue, sniffing.

"S-Sakura..."

"H-Hinata?! W-Wait a minute, why are you c-crying?" I leaned over to put my arm around her and calm her down.

"B-But, you loved your senpai s-so much and in th-the end had your heart b-broken."

I wiped at her tears and smiled. "That was something that happened a long time ago, it's nothing to cry over silly."

"But isn't h-he the reason you hate men so much n-now?"

I pulled her in for a hug. She was ridiculously cute, enough to make me want to shout it out to the whole world.

"That's true, but...I'll eventually get over it. I can't get married if I hate men forever, right?"

_Besides_...

"Hinata!"

She perked up at the sound of his voice.

"U-Uchiha-san?"

He stood beside us, staring down.

"What are you doing Haruno?"

I pulled Hinata in even closer, squinted my eyes, and looked up at him.

"What does it _look_ like I'm doing?"

Hinata gasped and suddenly smiled, clasping her hands together.

"For example, he's not so bad." I stuck my tongue out to show her I still had some dislike towards men.

He frowned. "Hey, are you talking about me?"

"None. Of. Your. Business."

The guy was dressed up as a girl, but what I didn't understand was...

"Stupid idiot."

"What did I do now?!"

"Shut up," I muttered.

Why my face burned just from being near him.

* * *

**A/N: HOMFG!!!! This chapter took me FOREVER, more like THREE weeks to write! GAwd, I'm so tired. Sorry for those of you who may not be interested in Sakura's story, but I at least need to have another character's insight as well. Again, my story lines always turn out cheesy, but whatever. Anyways, thanks for reviewing, everyone who read this and the last chapter. Words can't express how happy I was to read every single review.**


	14. The Blue eyed Knight

**A/N: Hi everyone! Sorry for another late update, I've been on writer's block lately, again. NEW CHARACTER in this chapter, but it's pretty obvious who it is. Have fun reading and please leave me some feedback. I'd like to get your thoughts on the story so far.**

* * *

**Chapter 14:** **The** **Blue-eyed Knight**

"You have a friend returning from America? Are you serious?!"

I smiled, expecting the shocked look on Sakura's face. "Yup, and it's been about...three years since I last saw him I think?"

"Wait a minute; your friend's a..._boy_?"

I nodded.

She turned on her heel and walked over to the door. "Well, I guess our conversation ends here."

I watched her, while still in the middle of changing.

Just as she was about to turn the knob, it suddenly rattled and was pushed open, slamming into her face.

"Ow!"

"Oh, sorry!"

It turned out to be Uchiha-san on the other side.

Sakura sat there in a rather un-lady-like position, dazed.

Uchiha-san got down on one knee and leaned in closely, staring hard at her face.

"Hey, you okay? You're not bleeding or anything are you? Because I really don't want to hear you blame me later," he muttered.

Realizing that Uchiha-san was in front of her, and rather closely at that, Sakura's face flushed red as she ran out the door.

I quickly pulled on my shirt before Uchiha-san could turn his attention to me.

"What was that all about?" he asked, jabbing his thumb in the direction Sakura had ran.

"Um...I'm not sure myself, maybe she's sick."

I quickly strapped on my wristwatch, checking the time as well.

_Ah, I'd better hurry_.

Tightening the belt around my waist, I made sure it held up my jeans. They had a habit of sometimes slipping off.

Meanwhile, without my noticing it, Uchiha-san had been observing me...I think.

"Once we finish classes, you usually get started on your homework right away." He crossed his arms over his chest. "Is there a special occasion or something that I didn't hear about for you to get dressed up?"

"Oh, w-well actually, I'm going to go pick up a friend of mine at the train station."

"Huh? For what? Can't she get to wherever she has to by herself? She's not someone that needs any babying, is she?"

"Well a-about that-"

"Hinata-chaaaaaaan!"

We both looked to the doorway to see Haku-san enter, a smile on his beautiful face.

He stopped the minute he saw me and asked "Oh, are you going out?"

"Um yes, but Uchiha-san, about-"

"Really? Well in that case, why don't we go with you?" He slipped his arm around Uchiha-san's shoulders, earning himself a smack on the head from the other boy. "It'll be a lot more fun that way."

I turned to Uchiha-san. "Do you...want to come?"

He seemed occupied with Haku-san at the moment, trying to land a hit on him, but gave a grunt.

I didn't understand what he meant by that. "Uh..."

"He says 'yes'!" Haku-san answered for me. "Wait here Hinata-chan, we'll go get changed."

Before I could say anything, they left the room, Uchiha-san being dragged along.

"I didn't even give them an answer yet..."

* * *

"WHY DO I HAVE TO WEAR THIS?!" 

Haku-san ran behind Uchiha-san and put him in a head-lock.

"Calm down _Setsuna_-chan," he said, using his most feminine voice. "The dress suits you, and pretty girls should wear pretty clothes."

"But I'm not a-!"

I clamped my hand over Uchiha-san's mouth.

"_Shh, we're in public Uchiha-san_!" I whispered to him. "_Please don't do anything that'll attract the attention of others_."

He had an upset look on his face, but strangely calmed down.

"Fine..." he muttered.

"So where's your friend at Hinata-chan? Didn't you say she'd be here?" Haku-san asked, looking around excitedly.

"E-Eh? Well-I was told that the next train stopping would be-"

Coincidentally, the train slowed down and stopped.

The three of us stood under the shade of the roof, watching as passengers got off.

"Oh, so she get's off this train then?" Haku-san asked, pointing at it.

I nodded my head.

Through the swarm of the passengers, I spotted the spiky blond hair I saw so often in my childhood, and just as I expected, there he stood.

The tears came to my eyes faster than I thought it would. It was hard to hold in, but I couldn't.

He was here. He was really here.

I ran, and as if on cue, he turned his head to see me, a warm smile spreading on his boyish face.

"Hina-"

Before he could say anymore, I threw my arms around his neck, pulling him down for an embrace.

My heart pounded like it had never done before, a warm feeling spreading through my chest.

The people around us were staring and whispering. Haku-san thrashed around wildly on the ground with Uchiha-san holding him down by sitting on top of him.

I drowned out everyone, their voices fading.

It was as if we were the only ones there.

"Wow...you're really here." I held onto him even tighter, feeling the solid figure against myself. "It's not a dream...is it?" my voice came out in a whisper. It was hard to talk while trying to distinguish an illusion and reality.

He put his large hand on top of my head, ruffling my already-unkempt hair.

"Don't be so cute, you know it's not good for my heart."

Sniffling, I wiped away the tears with the back of my arm, allowing me to see his face up-close clearly.

Those beautiful blue-eyes of his still held the glow he'd had the day he left.

Unchanging.

Beautiful.

Clear.

"Naruto..."

* * *

For me, Naruto had been my first friend, and...my first love. 

It was almost as though we were connected by the hip. We were always together as children, no matter where we went.

When we were seven, he had made a promise to me.

"_I promise I won't go anywhere. I'll always be by your side_."

Those words had completely encaged my heart.

I'd never plan to tell him my feelings. I thought if I did, our relationship would take a turn for the worst and he'd come to soon ignore me.

Just thinking about it pained me.

As for Naruto, he'd always been the popular type in school. He was cute, cheerful, and energetic. I couldn't think of anyone who wouldn't like him.

In our second year of middle school, he became even more popular with the girls. It was hard to get near him without being trampled over. I kept my distance and the only times we met were after school at our houses.

One day, because of a certain incident, I ended up confessing, but...things didn't turn out the way I thought they would.

* * *

_**Hyuga Hinata-13 years old**_: 

What I loved about Naruto were his clear and unchanging eyes.

They were a deep azure-blue color, blue like the sky.

They were frighteningly beautiful.

I loved the way his voice was gentle and unfazed, the way he smiled at me, everything.

He was all I thought about, whether it was day or night.

* * *

My alarm went off, buzzing like the annoying contraption it was. Underneath my covers, I reached for it and pressed the snooze button, finally shutting it off. 

"Ugh...It's time for school already?"

The sudden realization just then hit me.

"Wh-What am I saying? I have t-to get ready!"

The reason as to why I was rushing, which happened almost everyday should have been obvious by this point.

"Oi-Hinataaa! Hurry up or we'll be late!" he cried. "Old-man Asuma's gonna close the gates on us!"

"C-Coming Naruto!"

It took me two minutes to brush my teeth, one minute to wash my face, three minutes to change into my uniform, and thirty seconds to brush my hair.

The minute I finished, I squeezed myself through the opening of my window and jumped out.

Naruto came forward and jumped up, catching me flawlessly in his arms.

We landed safely on the ground.

"Hey, did you gain weight or something? You're a little heavier than before."

I was ready to smack the side of his head with my school bag, but he suddenly grinned at me.

"Just kidding," he said jokingly. A kind smile replaced his grin. "You're as light as ever, _Hime_-_sama_."

My ribcage was about to be shattered if he kept up the sweet-talk any longer.

_Stupid heart, calm down!_

I noticed the blond checking the time on his wrist-watch.

"Well, it looks like we might be late again," he sighed. "Ah, I guess the only way to get there on time is if we ran." He turned to me, a look of doubt on his face. "You're pretty athletic, but not as fast as me..."

I started to sweat bullets.

"You...don't tell me you're going to-"

"...so...I guess I'll have to carry you the whole way!"

When he said that, he really meant it.

"And off we go!"

"Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"

"Hang on tight Hinata!"

I did as he said and wrapped my arms tighter around his neck, being careful not to strangle him.

Naruto was fast, and I mean REALLY fast. It was enough to scare me.

The high speed at which he went caused my bangs to whip against my face. Even though it hurt, I knew I was in no condition to complain.

_I shouldn't ask for anymore, this is good enough itself._

During my moment of bliss, Naruto suddenly yelled "Hey old man, why are you closing the gates?! Can't you see I'm running my ass off here?!"

Asuma-sensei, one of the teachers with a rugged look and build stood behind the school gates as usual with a cigarette in his mouth. With the press of a button on his small remote, they closed automatically.

Naruto frowned. "Damn, if we don't make it on the other side of that gate before the bell rings, we're done for! Looks like I have no choice but to-"

He suddenly began picking up his speed, holding onto me tightly.

_What is he doing? The gates are already closed! _

"-jump over!"

In that split second, he leapt high into the air, grabbing onto the safer part of the iron-gate with one arm for support before propelling himself forward.

It was only for a short moment, but...I felt as though we were flying.

Asuma-sensei stared up at us, his eyes popping out of their sockets.

Naruto stared down at him and smirked in triumph.

"Morning..._ASS_-suma-sensei."

Landing on both his feet, Naruto quickly set me down and held my hand, pulling me after him.

"Come on, hurry it up or that guy will really punish us!"

I glanced back to see Asuma-sensei fuming with raging anger as he strode towards us.

Not wanting to get into anymore trouble, I followed Naruto.

* * *

"Heh, so we were late after all." 

The two of us stood outside of the classroom in the hall, holding a bucket of water in each hand.

"Ahhh, my arms are getting tired." I couldn't help but complain. They were heavy.

"Well we have Kakashi-sensei to thank for our punishment. At least he didn't make us stay after to clean up the school gym. That's even worse compared to this."

I sighed. "I guess so."

The door slid open with Kakashi-sensei's head popping out as well.

"Hey there you two," he waved. "So, did you guys learn your lesson?" A wisp of his silver hair fell over one eye.

We nodded our heads and said in unison "Hai."

He smiled, or at least I think he did, though I couldn't really tell since he wore a mask over the bottom half of his face all the time. "Good, you guys can come in now and start from where we left off."

* * *

"...and so, that's how I got my silver hair." 

There were groans from everyone in the class.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"That has nothing to do with today's lesson!"

"Moron!"

He cleared his throat.

"Anyways, I think we left off during the Heian Period..."

I turned to look at Naruto who sat across from me, his head on the top of his desk, snoring peacefully.

_He's so cute_.

* * *

"Maaaaaaan-that was one _boring_ lecture!" 

He fell down on his back, arms spread out, sinking into the softness of the grass.

I began to unwrap the boxed lunch I prepared for the both of us everyday, removing the lid.

Naruto immediately sat up at this, running a hand through his spiky blond hair before reaching out to snatch a piece of rolled egg.

Popping it into his mouth, he grinned at me childishly with sincerity. "It tastes great Hinata!"

_Why_ did he have to be so adorable?

* * *

I stared into the mirror hanging on my wall, stretching out my cheeks. 

"Maybe my skin will get softer if I do this everyday..."

I'd read about it in an article for massage and therapy. Pinching your cheeks and stretching them out stirred the chemical process within your skin, softening it. Whether it was true or not was something I didn't know, but I'd eventually find out.

I plopped down on the edge of my bed, unbuttoning my uniform.

"Now that I think about it, all those girls were staring at us today..."

_But_..._it also felt like they were staring more at me_.

The sound of tapping broke me from my thoughts.

I turned around to the source of the sound to see Naruto at my window, waving. He gestured to me with his hand to let him in.

I complied by walking over and pulling up the window.

He fell down quietly, landing on his knees.

"I wasn't too loud was I? If your cousin finds me in here, he'll beat the crap out of me."

I shook my head. "You're fine as long as you don't walk around too much."

He stretched his arms above his head, letting out a silent yawn.

"That so? Well then, I guess I'll have to get on your bed."

"That's tru-w-wait a minute, my B-B-BED?"

"Yeah, why? We've slept together tons of times. Don't tell me you're actually _still _embarrassed about it?" he laughed. "Like I'd try anything on you, you're like a sister to me!"

_Sister_...

I shook my head. "O-Oh, you're right. There's...nothing to be embarrassed about."

"Exactly. Well, since that issue's over with, let's get to sleep." He jumped onto my bed, and crawled over to the pillow to lie down, pulling the thick floral-decorated blanket over himself.

"W-Well I guess I'll get out the extra futon-"

"Come here."

I stopped in my tracks, and turned to him, not believing my ears.

_What_..._did he just say_? "Naruto..."

"Didn't you hear me? Get in. You don't think I'm so rude that I'd kick the owner out of their own bed do you?"

"B-But-there's not enough room for two people and-"

"Then we'll just have to make the room now won't we?" he cut me off, not leaving anymore room for an argument.

He stared at me, his clear-blue eyes emitting impatience and mild anger.

I couldn't refuse him when he did that.

Gulping, I slowly walked over to the bed. I climbed in hesitantly beside him, our shoulders touching from the lack of space we had.

"Ah, actually...I think I'll fall off."

This was my chance. "I-In that case, I'll get out-"

"No, wait."

I remained still.

"Hinata, try turning on your side."

"L-Like this?"

"Yeah." He scooted in and snuggled up against me, wrapping an arm around my waist. Our bodies were in an even more intimate position than before.

My heart was slamming against my chest.

_This can't be happening_.

"N-Naruto..."

"This is much better. You're really warm Hinata."

"Um, don't you think this position is a bit...?"

"Hmm? Did you say something?"

"It's n-nothing."

I couldn't believe it. Naruto, _the _Naruto that I'd had a crush on for years was sleeping right next to ME, embarrassing as it was.

_It suddenly feels like I can die happy._

I closed my eyes and went to sleep, trying hard to ignore the feel of his breath on my neck.

* * *

"Oh, looks like you two have decided to join us." Kakashi-sensei sat at his desk and looked up at us from his small pocket-sized book. "As your teacher, I think I have the right to know. So, where were you?" 

I rubbed at my eyes sleepily and stifled my yawn. Naruto on the other hand looked as energetic as ever, full of vitality.

"We both woke up late this morning," he answered in place for me, not that I would've been the first to say anything anyways.

"Is that all?" sensei asked, raising an eyebrow.

Naruto nodded.

"Ah, well then, you two will have to stay behind today and clean up the classroom, by _yourselves_," he said, returning to his book.

I was so tired; I didn't think I could handle it.

Alone with Naruto again.

* * *

"This sucks," he muttered under his breath. 

I turned to the blond to see him pushing the tables up against the wall, while grumbling about it.

"Stupid Kakashi-sensei, just because we're five minutes late, he makes us clean up the classroom...damn, and I wanted to watch the new drama airing today too..."

I yawned once again, accidentally letting it slip.

_Oops_.

Naruto turned to me with a look of surprise.

"You okay Hinata? That's like what-the tenth time you've yawned all day?"

I waved my hands for him to dismiss the matter.

"I-It's nothing, I just didn't fall asleep until really late last night."

He cocked his head to the side as if to think about it. "Are you sure that's it? Ah, was it because I was hogging the blanket last night? Or maybe because I was snoring loudly?"

"No, it's not that."

"Then what was it?"

_It's because you were there_.

"I watched another horror movie."

_Is it okay for me to be like this?_

The feeling was painful. Having to lock up everything inside, the way I felt about him.

"Idiot! Why'd you do that?"

_It's painful, but_...

"I'm sorry, are you mad?"

He sighed, and slapped his forehead.

"No, it's not that, but...sometimes, you make me worry too much."

"Sorry..."

He came over, and patted my head.

"Don't apologize, just take care of yourself." He reached for the broom in my hands and snatched it away. "Here, _I'll_ sweep. Just go sit down and rest."

"O-Okay."

_I'll have to keep these feelings locked up_.

* * *

"U-Um, excuse me!" 

Closing my shoe box, I turned around to see a girl standing behind me, holding out a white envelope with her head down.

_Is that_..._what I think it is?_

"I-I've noticed that you and U-Uzumaki-san are really close. If p-possible, do you think you could make sure my letter gets t-to him?"

"A l-love letter?"

She became so embarrassed to the point that her ears had turned red, even if I couldn't see her face.

"Y-Yes! I'm s-sorry to bother you, b-but I heard that the two of you are childhood friends so I thought m-maybe it would be better to ask y-you to deliver it for me."

_Childhood friends_...

My head was throbbing with pain.

The realization of it just came to me.

"S-Sure, I'll deliver it for you."

* * *

"For...me?" he asked, pointing at himself as if not believing it. His face turned bright red as he stared down at the envelope in my hand. 

I held it out for him to take. "It's a love letter."

He took it from me and gripped onto it so tightly that I was so sure it was about to rip.

"Ah! B-Be careful! A kouhai asked me to give that to you so don't-"

"Wow! It's my first love letter from a girl!" he cried, running around enthusiastically. His blue eyes sparkled with joy as he began ripping it open to take out the letter. "Ne, you saw the girl, right Hinata? Was she cute? You said she's a kouhai right?"

My heart was twisting in more than one way. It practically felt like I was being stabbed. To see his adorable face light up over another girl was heart-breaking itself.

_I wish he wouldn't get so excited about it_...

"...Hinata?"

His voice broke me from my thoughts. "Y-Yes?"

"Did you hear what I said? You kind of looked like you were spacing out there for a minute."

"Oh, sorry, I'm just...a little tired."

He had on an exasperated look on his face. "Not enough sleep again?" he sighed. "Geeze, didn't I tell you to take care of yourself?"

"That's...not it," I muttered more to myself than him.

"What did you say?"

"That...THAT'S NOT IT! YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND ANYTHING!"

I ran away from him as fast as I could, not turning to look back.

I should have expected it. After all, it was my decision not to tell him, but how dense could he be?

* * *

After that incident, I hadn't attended school for at least two days. My family was worried about me and asked if I needed to go to the hospital, but I told them it wasn't anything serious and that I was only feeling a bit under-the-weather. I wasn't so sure if they noticed, but they seemed to be able to tell that I wanted to be alone. 

The past two days had gone by quicker than I expected. All I did at home was lie down in bed and read some of my manga, which usually cheered me up.

Time only seemed slow whenever I was with him, but that's what made it so meaningful. It felt like we had an eternity to be together.

I tossed the book aside on the third day that morning and finally got up.

"I can't be like this all the time. I'll have to go to school eventually anyways."

As soon as I finished getting ready, I went downstairs to put on my shoes and leave. Everyone else in the house was still asleep.

I closed the door as gently as I could, careful not to disturb them until I heard the click that it had locked in place.

Turning around only made me jump in surprise.

"Yo." He raised a hand in the air to wave at me. "You feeling better Hime-sama?"

I frowned at the sight of him, the reason for my absences. "What are you doing here?"

"Aw, c'mon, don't make that face! I came here especially just to see you," he smiled.

I turned away, not wanting to be taken in by him.

"Please...leave me alone."

"I don't want to."

"Why not?"

"Because you're important to me."

"What you say and do are two different things."

"Huh?" he looked confused.

I couldn't take it anymore.

"Just...Just leave me alone."

I started to walk away, but he grabbed onto my arm.

"Wait, come with me first. I have something to tell you."

"It can wait can't it? Besides, I have to get to school."

"No, it can't wait. It's something I have to tell you, _now_."

It hurt.

"Fine then."

It hurt so much just from being near him.

* * *

"What is it that you wanted to talk about?" 

We were at a park near the school. The both of us sat on the swings, a thick air of silence hanging over us.

"Um...before I say anything, promise me you'll stay calm."

"I'll...try."

He took in a deep breath. "Okay, well, the thing is...I'm going to a different school."

"Is that it?" He brought me all the way here to tell me something like that? I couldn't deny the fact that I would be a bit sad without his presence around, but we could always see each other once classes were out, right?

He dropped his head and put his hand on my shoulder, baring his teeth with a forced grin. "No, I don't think you get it. I'm going to a different school, but...not in Japan."

That last sentence had me on the edge of my seat, only to fall down.

"Y-Y-You're going to another country? Where?"

He stood on his feet to help me up, as shocked as I was.

"Actually, I'm going to California."

This only became an even bigger shock for me. "You m-mean in the US?"

He nodded.

"Yeah. My grandma's sending me there for about three years to study, get an understanding of a different culture, you know?"

"B-But why so sudden-"

"About that...this was decided beforehand a month ago."

"When...are you going?"

"Today," he answered.

My whole world felt like it had shattered just then. Exactly how many secrets had he been keeping from me?

"You..." I muttered.

"Huh?"

"HOW CAN YOU BE SO SELFISH?!"

He drew back in surprise. "H-Hinata?"

"Why didn't you tell me earlier?! Why keep it from me up until now?!"

The tears came to my eyes so fast that I wasn't sure at all about how to stop them. They were warm and salty in my mouth.

My heart felt like it had been stabbed at with a knife and ripped out.

I didn't understand. What was the point of loving him throughout all those years? Did it mean everything I did had been a waste? Arriving at school late with him, sharing boxed lunches, letting him sleep in my room with me, had it all been pointless?

I was angry, angry for loving someone as selfish as him, angry that he'd forgotten our promise, angry that I couldn't get my feelings through to him.

He reached his hand out to me. "Hinata..." I didn't reject him. That was something I could never do.

"_I hate you Naruto. I hate you so much._" My voice was just above a whisper.

Angry...that I didn't tell him how much I loved him.

"I'm really sorry," he apologized holding me, while stroking the back of my head. "I didn't think you'd take it so hard. You're usually the calmest and mature out of the both of us."

I whimpered against his chest, trying to calm myself down.

"I'm...not as mature as you think I am."

"Well, you could've had me fooled," he laughed, tilting my head up for me to look at him. "You're the most amazing girl I've ever known."

Those words had my heart racing.

I hesitated, clutching tightly onto the front of his shirt.

"Do you...like me then?"

"..." he said nothing and closed his eyes, a thoughtful look on his face. "No, I don't like you one bit."

I was ready to cry again, until he put a finger to my lips.

"Actually, I love you," he smiled. "I love you more than ramen and sleeping."

My face didn't turn red or burn even after hearing the words I'd always wanted to hear. My embarrassment was beyond a level of just blushing.

I was so happy I could die.

Naruto looked flustered for a moment and scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "I-I'm sorry! Girls don't like being compared to an item, right? I probably should've used a better comparison-"

"Its fine," I cut him off, putting a finger to his lips. "You don't have to say anything else."

"So...are you still mad?" he asked. He tried to hide it, but I could tell he was troubled.

He really was sweet.

I wiped at the tears in my eyes, no longer overcome by sadness anymore. The feeling had passed as fast as it had come.

"No, I'm not mad."

He breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank god, I didn't know what I was going to do if you still were."

The both of us were finally back to normal, facing one another.

"So, is there anything you want?"

"Shouldn't it be the other way around?"

"Think of it as my apology for not telling you earlier. It can be any present. I'll send it to you from my new address."

"Anything?"

"Anything."

"Stay here."

"Denied."

I dropped my head. "You said anything."

"Yeah well, you know I don't have a choice, so pick something else."

"You're such a liar, you broke our promise."

"Promise? We made a promise?"

I shook my head. "Never mind."

"Uh...okay then, but more importantly, did you think of anything yet?"

What kind of present could I ask for from Naruto? He'd already said he loved me, though I know he didn't mean it in that way. It was enough, wasn't it?

_Now that I think about it_..._what if_..._it was something from __**him**_?

The one thing I'd always wanted.

"I know what I want now." I gestured for him to lean down since he was taller.

He leaned down and listened closely. "You do? What is it?"

I moved forward to kiss him on the lips.

We kept still like that for about five seconds before Naruto jumped back in surprise falling on his butt. His face was red. This was rare for me since he hardly ever blushed.

"Y-Y-Y-You-! You just-!" His face turned even redder at this, confusion written all over it. "Why did you-?"

"Didn't you say 'anything'?"

"I-I did but...that was just _too_ much. It's more than my heart can handle." He put a hand over his chest. "Is this some kind of punishment game or something? Cause it's working..."

"Something like that, but...just to make it even more memorable, I'll say this."

I picked up my schoolbag from the ground and dusted off the dirt.

I had to get to school soon or I'd be in even more trouble than the last time.

Turning to him, I put on my best smile.

"I really loved you."

* * *

**A/N: Oh, sorry if Hinata seemed a little OC in here. But think about it, I'm pretty sure YOU wouldn't be shy around someone you've known for years. And I also apologize for the lack of SasuHina fluff or whatever, I'm just trying to get some things straightened out like I did with Sakura in the last chapter. SasuHina fluff WILL be in the next chapter along with other pairings. Just try hanging with me until then.**


	15. Saying his Name

**A/N: Hi everyone! This is Khmershinobi with another chapter of TPATP. I haven't been able to write lately because of some personal problems, but I thought it would be nice to entertain the bored out there surfing the internet, even if this story isn't as good to others anyone else has read. This chapter is SHORTER than the last two and I may keep the next few that way unless I suddenly have inspiration or something. **

**And for those who don't read the author's notes; YOUR LOSS! Because if you don't, you might miss out on some important facts about the story itself. Those WHO DO, good for you. And thanks for taking your time.**

**Now, on with the story, so get reading and click that REVIEW button!**

* * *

**Chapter 15: Saying his Name**

"So...how long have you guys known each other?" asked Haku-san who seemed relatively calm compared to earlier.

_**What happened earlier:**_

**Haku-san: **_"Your friend's a BOY?!"_

_**End flashback:**_

Naruto grinned and wrapped his arms around my shoulders. "A long time," he answered. "We're childhood friends."

I watched as the metal spoon in Haku-san's hand bend in half. It snapped and hit the top of the table with a loud clang.

_Did he just-?_

The four of us sat in a small café. I thought it would be the best place for introductions. It was better than standing outside in the cold.

Uchiha-san held a straw by the tips of his fingers, stirring the iced-tea in his glass cup elegantly, lady-like almost. The ice-cubes clinked gently with each stir.

I found myself mesmerized by the sudden display of elegance. He was beautiful to watch, no matter what he did, well...sometimes.

"What about you two?" Naruto asked, leaning forward on the table with one elbow. "How long have you known Hinata?"

Uchiha-san looked up from his drink at the blond. "Uh...not too long, a couple of months I think." He took a long sip of his tea, before setting the cup back down. "We're close enough to call each other by our first names, well, at least WE are. Not her."

Naruto turned to me and tilted his head to the side, confused. "What? So you don't call them by their first names?"

Haku-san slammed his hand down on the table. "She calls ME by my first name," he declared, sounding proud.

"But she doesn't call me by mine," Uchiha-san muttered, gnawing on the tip of his straw.

I suddenly felt guilty at the moment. He was right. It's not that I didn't want to call him by his first name, but more like, I couldn't. It was too embarrassing. Just the thought of me even saying it made my face burn red. It was too bold.

"Ah, do you mind if I call you guys by your first names?" Naruto asked, his whole face lighting up. "It's not everyday that a guy gets to meet two pretty girls."

"Do whatever you want. It's not like I really care or anything anyways," replied the Uchiha. He flipped back his dark hair. "Damn hair," he muttered.

"If you're going to address me by my first name, you'll have to call me Haku-SAMA."

Naruto smiled at them brightly. "Cool, then you guys can call me by my first name too."

The three of them continued talking over things I didn't understand like their favorite bands for instance, or games, T.V. shows, ect.

_Well, at least their getting along._

* * *

The next day, I awoke to the sound of my alarm, beeping continuously.

I reached over, fumbling for the button before it finally shut off. Yawning, I stretched my arms above my head before getting up to wash. The bathroom door was open. I could hear the sink running. Uchiha-san wasn't in his bed so...

_Maybe he's washing his face?_

I poked my head inside timidly only to see a smooth and white chest appear before me.

"What are you doing?"

I looked up to see Uchiha-san staring down at me with one eyebrow raised.

_H-He doesn't have a shirt on?! _

I immediately turned away and covered my eyes. "I-I'm sorry!"

A sudden impact met the back of my head. Uchiha-san had hit me.

"Hurry up and get dressed stupid."

* * *

"WAHAHAHAHAHAHAH! What is THAT? It's hilarious!" Sakura laughed, holding onto the front of her stomach.

My blush only worsened as the other girls came around to look at my sketchbook, their faces lit with excitement.

"Ara? Hyuga-san, what did you draw a picture of?"

"It must be something beautiful if she drew it."

"Of course it would be! It's Hyuga-san we're talking about after all."

I knew the minute they saw my picture that they were regretting what they had just said.

Everyone was silent.

"A-Ah, how pretty! R-Right everyone?"

They all nodded their heads in agreement.

"I-It's a masterpiece!"

"Do you think y-you could make me one too?"

I knew they were trying to be nice, but it only made me feel worse.

"Thank you, but you don't have to lie; I already know it's horrible. I wasn't a very good artist to begin with." I smiled at them. "I do appreciate it though."

Their faces suddenly turned crimson red.

"IT'S NOT HORRIBLE AT ALL!"

"FAR FROM IT!"

"YOU'RE **MUCH **BETTER THAN THE ARTIST'S WHO HAVE THEIR WORKS DISPLAYED IN A MUSUEM!"

While they continued their talk, I quietly slipped away and went over to Uchiha-san who had been painting on a canvas.

I noticed the other girls around him sigh with heart-shaped eyes.

Even if he was dressed as a girl, his boyish charm still showed itself naturally.

Like I mentioned earlier, everything he did seemed beautiful. An air of refinement and grace lingered about him.

I peered over his shoulder, to look at his painting.

_Oh my god, it's-!_

Uchiha-san slowly turned his head around, trying to keep a straight face, but I could tell he was blushing.

_-It's horrible! I can't even tell what it is! Even my piece looks better!_

"You better not laugh," he threatened in a low voice.

I turned on my heel and staggered away, trying hard to keep myself from laughing.

In the end, I couldn't hold it in anymore and Uchiha-san threw his palette at my head, his face crimson-red.

* * *

The minute the bell rang for lunch, I ran to the main office building to where the teachers were at and found one of my sensei's from my Mathematics class.

He was at his desk, grading the quizzes our class took earlier that day.

I approached him with caution. He didn't seem to like me.

"A-Ano?"

He looked up at me, his eyes suddenly bulging out of his sockets. He turned his head away, not facing me.

"Wh-What is it Hyuga?" he asked in an impatient voice with a slight tremble.

_He hates me enough for his voice to shake like that? _I couldn't recall anything I did to upset him. When it came to my elders, I was respectful…I think.

Misaki-sensei was apparently popular with the students because of his looks and for being cool. I had to admit, he was good-looking, but cool? A person who was cool wouldn't shake or have a sudden change in personality when talking to someone, right? I was pretty sure he didn't like me, but then again we weren't close enough for me to actually care. It did make me feel a little sad though.

_Ah, I don't have time to think about this. I'll just ask him so I can leave._

"Well?"

"Um...would it be okay for me to have lunch outside the academy grounds?"

He immediately stood up and finally faced me.

"WHAT?!"

I flinched at his sudden outburst. Did he have to be so loud? I didn't notice it until now, but the other teachers in the room were staring, more at me than him though.

A few of the younger female teachers waved to me shyly, hiding behind their hands.

I waved back a bit and smiled which resulted in them screaming giddily.

"You're asking for permission to leave school grounds?"

I nodded.

"But why? Do the academy facilities not suit your needs? The cafeteria should surely have something you like. I don't see what the problem is."

I shook my head. "Oh n-no! It's not like that!"

"Then why?"

"I-It's because a f-friend of mine has returned from o-overseas and I thought it w-would be nice to catch up with e-each other over lunch breaks and weekends f-for this month since exams are a-almost here."

He pushed up the glasses sliding down the ridge of his nose. Sensei stared at me, his brown eyes flashing with suspicion.

"And who would this _friend_ exactly be? A girl or a _boy_?"

"A boy," I answered.

His face hardened at this. I could've sworn I saw an anger mark appear at the side of his temple.

_I should've said girl._

"Is…that so? Well then, I regret saying this, but I can't allow you to leave, especially if you are to meet up with a male outside school grounds. You were enrolled into this academy for a reason. To suddenly mix up with a boy will only throw you off from your studies."

_What? But he's waiting for me! _

"But sensei-!"

"My answer is already no. Also, I'll be sure to bring up this issue to the headmistress. The students these days have become so loose just because they think they can leave the dormitories after school. Even with a curfew, I can only imagine them to become uncontrollable at one point if they're granted this much freedom."

A knot started to form in my stomach. Did that mean I wouldn't get to see him? I know I'm over-exaggerating, but…seeing him once wasn't enough. I wanted to fill the three-year gap between us by meeting with each other as much as we could.

Tears came to my eyes, unintentionally. I hadn't thought or planned that I would start to cry in front of everyone like this. Quickly, I swiped my arm across my face, wiping away the tears.

I noticed that almost all of the teacher's faces were red. Misaki-sensei especially looked panic-stricken as he tried to calm me down, his face red as well. I saw his hands reach out to me hesitantly, but he immediately put them down without a second thought.

_What was he going to do?_

He opened his mouth to say something, but suddenly closed it, as if at a loss for words.

I felt guilty for troubling him, but that didn't change the fact that I was sad.

_I'm sorry Naruto, it looks like I won't see you until the weekend._

"Hyuga…" sensei started. I held up a hand to cut him off.

"It's fine; I understand your good intentions for the Academy." _It's too bad though. He looked really excited to try the new ramen special at Ichiraku together._ I heaved a sigh at the loss for today. _Oh well_.

"…go."

I heard sensei say something, but I hadn't quite caught it. "H-Hai?"

Sensei looked down at me from between his fingers, his hand covering his face. "I said you can go," he muttered.

Was I just hearing things?

"R-Really?"

"Yes," he replied in an exasperated manner.

""Really _truly_?" I came forward to take his hands in mine, staring up at him, hoping that my joy would not dissipate.

He became red to the point that even his hands had turned red in which he immediately pulled away from me.

I was about to ask him if he was okay until he shouted at me to leave.

"Go now before I change my mind!" he cried, not facing me.

I smiled, overcome by pure happiness.

"Thank you very much!"

* * *

_**Academy Grounds: Near the Entrance of the Front Gate **_

"Ne, did you see that blond boy?"

"Yeah, you mean the one standing outside the academy's gates right?"

"He's gorgeous!"

"I saw him up close and he has really beautiful blue eyes!"

"I know! He even smiled and waved at me when I looked at him!"

"If he's here though, he must be waiting for someone."

"I wonder who the lucky girl is...?"

"She must be really beautiful too if they're a couple."

The group of girls gave a wistful sigh, delicately placing the back of their hands against their chins.

"Narutoooo-!"

Turning to the source of the voice, their eyes literally became heart-shaped once they saw who it was.

And of course, only one person in the entire academy of an all-female school could draw out their squeals of excitement and passionate affection.

It was none other than Hyuga Hinata, the androgynous beauty of Sakuragi Academy, also known as the one and only '_Prince_.'

Just the sight of her alone made their hearts pound like mad. Her smile on the other hand only made them explode.

Despite the fact that they all knew she was a girl, her princely characteristics only heightened their fantasies in the male-less school.

"Naruto? Who could that be?"

"You don't think-"

The girls gasped, and turned to stare wide-eyed in the direction of the Hyuga.

Her usually boyish-looking and handsome face glowed with apparent happiness as she ran towards the blond to embrace him in a hug. She pulled away and smiled up at him, in a very child-like manner which only made her seem even more adorable.

"That girl...how could she?"

"It really is horrible."

"For her to smile like that-"

Only one thought ran through their minds at that moment.

_WHY DOES SHE HAVE TO BE SO CUTE?!?!?!?!? _

* * *

_**Back to Hinata's POV:**_

"How is it? Is it good?"

He slurped the last of his noodles from the bowl before setting it down, a look of bliss on his face.

"This is my breakfast, lunch, and dinner from now on," he breathed happily.

I pushed my bowl over to him. "Would you like mine as well?"

His eyes sparkled with joy. "Really? You're really going to give me a perfectly good bowl of ramen that's not even half-eaten?"

I pushed it in closer to him. "It's all yours."

"Yatta!" he cried, throwing his hands up into the air before giving me a big hug. "I love you Hinata, you're the best!"

_He hasn't changed at all._

That made me happy.

* * *

I got back to the academy in time for my last period, History.

When I entered the classroom, Fuuyuki-sensei jumped upon seeing me, her hand over her chest.

The teachers at the school were nice, but really weird.

I looked to her, hoping that I wasn't late. She flushed red, and coughed, her face returning to its normal color. "P-Please, take your seat Hyuga-san."

I did so and sat down, looking over at Uchiha-san to wave at him.

He stared at me with a blank expression on his face before turning away, as if he hadn't seen me.

A sudden sense of déjà vu hit me.

I was pretty sure this kind of scene had happened before. Well, the ignoring part that is.

_Wha-Wait a minute, is he…ignoring me-AGAIN?!_

* * *

I struggled to keep up with Uchiha-san in the hallways since he had the advantage with his legs being longer and all.

He was heading to the dorms, which I was sure of.

We passed the dorms rooms of the other girls who had their doors opened and waved after us. I waved back, but Uchiha-san ignored them as usual.

The minute we reached our room, I reached out to grab the back of his shirt, but accidentally had my fingers entwined within his silky-soft hair, pulling it off as well. The both of us froze for a second before running in and slamming the door shut.

"WILL YOU LEAVE ME ALONE?!"

I naturally shrunk back at hearing his loud voice up close.

"Why are you angry?!" I shouted back, angry that he had shouted at me, even if it was partly my fault his cover was almost blown.

He slapped his forehead and walked over to plop down on the edge of his bed with a sigh. "Look, I'm just not in the mood to talk _or_ see you right now, okay?"

I wasn't satisfied with that kind of answer. "Why? I don't recall having done anything to you."

He slapped his face this time with both hands, keeping his head down. "Like I said, I'm not in the mood."

"Tell me why."

"Leave me alone."

"I won't, not unless you tell me."

"I already told you-"

"That answer isn't acceptable."

I watched as he reached for his pillow, gripping onto it tightly before standing up and throwing it to the ground. "Alright, fine then! It's because _you_ didn't show up to eat lunch with me and that transvestite! Are you happy now?!"

Events ran through my mind while I tried to sort everything out. Had I really planned something beforehand?

"What are you talking about? I don't remember-"

"Of course you don't remember! You've been so excited ever since that blond came that everything you planned before slipped your mind! Am I right?"

_I don't understand, did I really-?_

A thought hit me just then, but I quickly dismissed it. _No, it can't be_…_he wouldn't_…_would he?_

"Uchiha-san…I really don't remember making plans with you. Is it possible that you're lying about it because…you're _jealous_?"

His face instantly burned red.

"Sh-Shut up! Who said I was jealous? I'm not jealous!" he cried, turning his head away.

"But-"

"I said I'm not jealous, so I'm not!"

We stood there in silence.

I closed my eyes and smiled to myself, feeling somewhat happy at the unexpected situation.

"I'm not jealous," he muttered. "I'm not jealous of the fact that you call everybody by their first name but me, or that the Naruto guy knew you much longer than I ever did…"

I slowly walked over and got down on one knee in front of him, pulling him down to sit on the bed.

He complied without trouble and kept his head held low.

"…I'm not jealous."

"Are you sure about that?"

He said nothing.

I took in a deep breath.

"To be honest Uchiha-san, I don't think it matters how long you've known a person. Personally, I think the time spent and memories together are the most important thing."

"……"

"It's strange but…I've never had someone jealous over me before (**A/N: Big Lie LOL**.) "I am happy though, really. It's flattering to know that you like me enough to get jealous."

"But…that doesn't answer why you don't call me by my first name."

I gulped. That issue hadn't occurred to me until now. It was something I tried to avoid.

"Well, that is…"

"Why can't you call my name?"

I fought to keep the blush on my face from appearing.

"Because…I can't."

He sat up straight at this.

"Why not?! You said it yourself didn't you?!"

He charged forward to push me onto the other bed, hovering above me.

"Uchiha-san…"

"Aren't we…_friends_?" The pained sound in his voice made my heart wrench. He looked down at me with his ebony-dark eyes, glistening beautifully, a sad expression on his face.

Did he hate it that much for me not to address him by his name?

"Well?"

"I'm sorry…"

"What?"

"I'm sorry, but…for me to say your name is almost impossible."

"What are you saying? Listen to yourself, you don't even make sense!"

"I JUST CAN'T SAY IT, OKAY?!"

He looked taken aback for a bit, but instantly recovered.

"Why not?"

"Because…whenever I think about saying your name…my head starts to hurt and my chest feels funny…"

"Do you not like my name or something? Is it that bad that you can't even say it?"

"No, it's not! I just-!"

"Then say it!"

"I already told you, I can't! Because…because ever since that time-"

_**Flashback:**_

"_W-Wait for me Uchiha-san!" I ran to catch up to him._

_He looked at me with a frown._

"_W-What is it?"_

"_You can call me Sasuke you know?"_

"_S-Sasuke?"_

"_Yeah, you didn't really think my name was Setsuna, did you? My name is Sasuke. Uchiha Sasuke."_

"_S-Sasuke..."_

_I immediately covered my mouth. My face was burning up, I could feel it._

_**End Flashback:**_

"-my heart feels like it's about to explode just from remembering it!"

I was out of breath by this point from shouting so much which was something I rarely did.

I looked up at Uchiha-san who in turn stared down at me dumbfounded, blinking.

"What…does that mean?"

His face suddenly flared redder than I'd ever seen it before. His eyes seemed to spin as he fell to the floor on his back.

I sat up and stared down at him, wondering what had just happened. "U-Uchiha-san? Are you okay?"

I dropped to the floor beside him and felt his forehead, burning my hand in return.

"Ow!"

The realization came to me just then. I didn't think it was possible for someone with such pride to actually-

_He actually fainted_.

I had a bad feeling about tomorrow.

* * *

**A/N: Hahaha, well, how was the chapter? Did anyone like it or find any flaws? You can be totally honest with me. I'm tough, so I won't break under a few harsh words. Yeah, if anyone's noticed, in the last chapter I promised SasuHina fluff, but there didn't seem to be any fluff in this one. I guess i'll have to make it work in the next one. Also, you can see that even the teachers have crushes on her. Especially Misaki-sensei, but he's not going to play much of a part anymore after this other than a sensei. But honestly though, there is something I'd like to know. Is there any certain character anyone is waiting for to be introduced? A pairng you'd like to see? Or a certain kind of scene, like say a FIELD TRIP somewhere or a HOT SPRING scene? Yeah well, it's been yanking in the back of my mind for a while, so just feel free to tell me anything in your review. Nothing too random though. LOL.**


	16. Because I Like You

**A/N: OMFG! 49 reviews for chapter 15! 49 REVIEWS! (So happy that she could die) insert cough Well, I'd just like to thank everyone for actually reviewing and people admitting that they didn't do it until now. It's nice to get feedback to know what readers think of the story or to figure out if they're reading it or not because I have a lot of story alerts and I don't even know if people got bored with my story since they didn't review. It's not asking for much really, and I mean this goes to all the readers out there, leave a review with a sentence or two to let the writers know what you think. Not hard, right? **

**Okay, so on with the story. Make sure you click that REVIEW button!**

* * *

**Chapter 16: Because I Like You**

The next day, my worst fears had actually come true.

Uchiha-san ignored me throughout the whole day, not even so much as sparing a glance.

_I __**really**__ think he hates me this time_.

My mind went into complete shock from confirming it after remembering what had happened earlier.

_**Earlier that Day: 1**__**st**__** Period**_

That morning, he had left for class earlier than usual.

I slid open the door to see him at his desk. He looked up and the minute he saw me, he immediately turned his head away.

Just as I was about to go over to him, he suddenly got up from his seat and dashed over to one of the girls who sat in the very front of the class, chatting with her friends.

"Can I...I mean-may I switch seats with you?"

The girl stared at him in surprise. "Um...not that I mind, but is there a reason?"

He glared at her, flame in his eyes.

"Do you _need_ a reason?"

Her expression was overcome with fear. She stood up, and pulled out the chair, gesturing towards it with her hand. "I-It's all y-yours!"

"Hn." Relief washed over his face as he sat down. "Thanks," he muttered.

I suddenly felt annoyed just then. He wanted to ignore me so much that he was ready to switch seats with another?

_I can't believe him, he's so childish._

Angrily, I took my seat, the emotion so strong that I had unconsciously slammed my bag down.

Several heads turned to look at me.

_I'm such an idiot_.

* * *

Today, I decided to sit in the cafeteria with Haku-san, Sakura, and her friends. 

It was hard to concentrate on eating when just about everyone was staring at you. I could understand why though. To see me eat in the cafeteria was a rare thing since I usually had lunch outside, even on a cold day.

I bit into the anpan they'd bought for me, after finishing my bento. The red-bean paste was soft and sweet in my mouth, but didn't cheer me up as something sweet usually did.

"Ah, that was my anpan you just ate!"

I looked up to the voice of Haku-san who sat across from me, a look of disbelief on his face.

Only after realizing that I had taken his did I apologize.

"I-I'm so sorry! I w-wasn't looking a-and must've g-g-grabbed the wrong one by m-mistake!"

Everyone at the table stared at me before breaking out into a smile.

"Awwww, she's so cute!"

"You can have mine if you want!"

"Mine too!"

I looked away embarrassed, only to hear squeals of delight coming from them.

Sakura threw her arms around my shoulders and leaned against me.

"What's wrong Hinata? You're not usually so out of it that you'd accidentally take someone else's snack."

I turned to Haku-san.

"Oh! I'm not mad or anything, just...surprised." He stared hard at the anpan that I had set down on the table, as if it were something fascinating.

"I-I'm sorry, do you still want it back?"

His eyes glistened at this.

"I can have it back? R-Really?"

Why is it that everyone I knew had some amount of weirdness in them?

"Y-You're welcome to," I offered. "That is...if you don't mind."

He immediately grabbed for it and stared intensely at the part I had bitten into.

Just as he was about to take a bite into it, Sakura suddenly snatched it from his hands, biting into it herself.

Haku-san stared at her dumbfounded.

Swallowing the rest in her mouth, she let out a breath of content.

"I just shared an indirect kiss with Hinata!" she gushed. "I feel so embarrassed now that I think about it!"

Haku-san continued to stare at her, his mouth wide open.

"S-Sakura! Don't say such a thi-!"

"Oh my!"

We both turned to see one of the girls at our table standing beside Haku-san. She nonchalantly poked at his face, earning no response.

"I think she's dead," was her reply.

* * *

I sat in a karaoke room with the same group of girls from earlier. Haku-san hadn't come with us because it seemed he was asleep right after from passing out. 

I was the only one sitting down while everyone else stood up, singing their hearts out in broken harmony while laughing.

It's not that I wanted to come; rather, Sakura had forced me to for my own good apparently.

Laughing. That was something I couldn't do right now. I had too much on my mind, and because of that, I couldn't have fun with the others.

The atmosphere only seemed to worsen my mood.

_I need to get out of here._

Without a word, I left.

* * *

The night air was cool and refreshing, much better than that cramped and stuffy room I had been in minutes ago. 

_I like it quiet like this. _

There weren't that much people out tonight which I found strange.

_But then again, it is a school night. I hope those girls make it back to the academy in time or else they'll get in trouble._

I shoved my hands deep into my pockets to keep them warm.

It was cold.

Several lamps lined the road towards the academy, as if lighting up a path for me.

_Is this a sign for me to go back?_

It was decided that I'd return. It was much better than having to sit in the headmistress's office. As far as I knew, the woman was a complete beauty for her age, but also frightening violent and powerful.

Walking along the road, my mind wandered to thoughts concerning Uchiha-san. Everything that'd happened seemed like a distant but pleasant memory.

_**Several Flashbacks: **_

_We were now outside on the courtyard. She sat at the large fountain, splashing her face with water. I walked over and sat beside her. Like a frightened cat, she was ready to run once again. I grabbed her by the wrist to stop her._

"_P-Please stay!"_

_Surprised by my sudden outburst, she stood there, her body less tense._

"_Fine, but at least let go of me."_

_I released my grip on her._

"_So...what is it? She asked._

"_Um...me."_

"_What?"_

"_D-Do you...hate me?"_

_There was a bit of silence. She sighed, sounding exasperated. "If I hated you, then I wouldn't even bother talking to you."_

"_B-But the way you've been acting-"_

_She cut me off. "It's not...what you think. I just...have a lot on my mind, but that doesn't mean I hate you or anything," she added quickly._

"_R-Really?"_

"_Yes, so will you stop making that face already? It makes it look like I'm the bad guy."_

_I don't know why, but the feeling of happiness and relief hit me all at once. Jumping up, I threw my arms around Uchiha-san and hugged her._

"_Wh-Whoa! Wha-What are you doing?"_

"_Sorry, I'm sorry. I just feel so happy right now." Her body relaxed then. She patted the top of my head awkwardly as if whether she should have done it or not._

"_You're...so weird."_

* * *

_Sighing, Uchiha-san rubbed his temples. "Forget what I said, I'm just tired." I looked up at him. He had an apologetic look in his eyes. "So...will you quit making that face already?"_

_I immediately stood up. Uchiha-san took a step back, surprised by the sudden movement. "Uh...you okay?"_

"_Y-You don't have to worry, I won't tell anyone your secret. I p-promise!"_

_Dumbstruck, he stared at me, blinking. "I...actually wasn't thinking about that, but since you brought it up..."_

"_I-I'm not sure why you and Haku-san would pose as female students u-unless cross-dressing is your hobby or something-"_

"_It's NOT," he interrupted, his voice dead serious._

"_-but if you have some o-other reason and you can't tell me, then I won't f-force you to so-"_

_I felt a sudden flick to my forehead. It didn't hurt, but the feel of the impact was there._

_Standing at the same level of my height, Uchiha-san put a finger to his lips._

"_I get it already; just...stop talking so much."_

* * *

_It feels like school all over again. "Th-That's very nice of you, b-but I'll pass."_

"_Huh? Why? It's not like your waiting for anyone, are you?"_

"_Well, not really but-"_

"_Then what's the problem?" one of them asked._

"_Yeah, it's not like you have a girlfriend or anything, right?"_

_Are girls really this persistent? "Um-"I was about to correct them for mistaking my gender until a familiar voice called out to me._

"_Hey!"_

_I wasn't sure if I should've been happy or not, but either way relief eased my heart along with a bit of anxiety. "Uchiha-san?"_

_Pushing his way through the girls, he went up to me and grabbed my wrist. "Where did you go? I was looking for you!" he cried, obviously upset._

"_About that..." I looked at all of the girls, their faces red once again. Only, they weren't staring at me, but Uchiha-san._

_I heard one of them say "Oh my god, she's so pretty."_

"_So he does have a girlfriend after all."_

"_We don't stand a chance."_

"_They look really good together."_

_Taking one last look at us both, they walked away in silence. Uchiha-san had a confused look on his face. I take it that he hadn't heard what they were whispering about. That was probably a good thing._

"_Who were they?" he asked._

_I shrugged my shoulders._

"_You don't know them?"_

_I nodded._

"_Well, if you're done here, let's get going. The others are probably waiting for us."_

_He pulled me along behind him, still holding onto my wrist. I thought I saw some people staring._

_How embarrassing..."U-Um Uchiha-san..." I worked up the courage to ask him, "c-could you let g-g-go of me? People are staring..."_

"_So what? Let them stare if they want to. It's not any of our business."_

"_B-But-"_

"_Besides, who knows what'll happen if I let you go." He turned his head slightly to the side and said to me "I don't want you getting lost a second time. Especially in an area you've never been in."_

_My face grew hot. "S-S-Sorry!"_

"_Yeah, yeah, just hurry and keep up."_

* * *

"_You...you don't look like a guy at all, just so you know," he said, scratching the side of his head sheepishly._

_Locking the door, I walked over and sat on the edge of my bed across from his, kicking off my shoes. "Thank you, but you don't have to pretend. I'm not that pitiful, am I?"_

"_Who said I was pretending?"_

"_You're just trying to make me feel better."_

"_Well, that too, but...I think your pretty...as a girl that is," he added quickly, turning away obviously embarrassed._

_I stared at him. It was strange how we both got off the wrong foot when we first met, but now...after everything that had happened, it felt like I was starting to see the other sides of him as well._

_Blushing, I looked down at the floor, avoiding eye contact with him._

"_Um...Uchiha-san?"_

"_What?"_

"_Th-thank you, no one's ever called me pretty before, even...even if it isn't true."_

_Suddenly, I felt something soft and cool thrown at my head. Reaching for it, I saw that it was a pillow._

_I looked up at Uchiha-san who sat there staring back at me, his cheeks red._

"_If I said you're pretty, than you are you stupid girl!"_

* * *

"_Earlier...what was that about?" he asked._

"_Earlier?"_

_It then hit me._

_He was listening?_

_I was ready to run away when he grabbed my wrist and held me in place._

"_Hey, where do you think you going? You didn't answer my question yet!"_

_But that's because I didn't want you to hear it in the first place! _

"_Is it true that...you think of me as your_..._friend?"_

_I blinked and turned around to look at him. "W-Why do you ask that? Of course I do!"_

_He stared at me. In a few seconds, his face turned crimson red._

_Is he_..._blushing? _

_Hiding the blush, he covered his face with his right hand._

"_You_..._you really say dumb things," he muttered, shaking his head._

_I gaped at him._

_He doesn't think of us as friends?_

"_-but for some reason," he put down his hand, allowing me to see him._

"_That_..._makes me really happy."_

_**End Flashbacks:**_

The rushing memories all flooded my mind at once, along with a sense of relief in my heart.

Thinking about it, Uchiha-san had always been there for me. He was kind, listened to what I had to say, and was very understanding, well, at least about _some _things.

_Well, I know that he wouldn't hate me over something like that, but he could be angry about something else now._

I stopped a bit to think.

_Did I say or do something? Ah! Or maybe he found out that I was the one who ate the last pudding in the dormitory kitchen?! Oh no-wait. I forgot that there's the fact that he doesn't like sweets. Then what could it be? _

My head started to hurt just thinking about the possible options for his silent treatment towards me.

"Forget it, the best solution would be to tie him up and make him confess," I said aloud to myself.

"Oh? I didn't know you were into _that _sort of thing Hina-chan," came a voice from behind me.

The voice was familiar to me.

"Sai...san?"

I turned around. He stood there with a bag in his hand.

"Actually, I'm an _S_-type myself," he smiled. "Besides that, would you care to tell me what you're doing out so late on a school night?"

* * *

"I see, so you got into a fight with your friend you say?" he took a sip of his tea and stared as if to press me on. 

"Well, it's not that we're fighting, but it's more one-sided on her part. I just don't understand what it is that I did to make her mad at me."

He nodded his head as if to confirm that he understood my situation.

"So explain to me, exactly what happened to start it?"

"Eh? W-Well, it seemed that she was jealous of my friend and the way I addressed everyone else by their first name but her."

"She must be very insecure because of that."

"Huh?"

"Think about it. She considers you a friend, right? Don't you think it's a bit unfair to not call a friend by their first name even when you do it with your other friends?"

A pang of guilt hit me just then. "Oh...I...never thought of it like that."

_Because it's Uchiha-san, I never thought he'd be the type to actually worry about that kind of thing. And I do call Haku-san by his first name, even though I met the both of them at the same time. But that's only because he asked me to call him by his first name. Uchiha-san didn't say anything until after a while and that was when I couldn't say it even if I wanted to._

I felt a headache coming on and started to rub my temples. Everything was so confusing. It would've been much simpler had Uchiha-san not decided to complicate things.

"Then...what should I do?"

His smile was gentle as he reached out to hold a lock of my hair.

"Why don't you tell her what she wants to hear?"

* * *

Those words had me up all night. 

_What does Sai-san mean tell him what he wants to hear? I'm confused because I don't know in the first place._

Sighing, I pulled off my shirt and threw it into the hamper.

_I need a shower._

I trudged into the bathroom, closing the door shut.

* * *

My showers usually took me a good fifteen to twenty minutes, but I had stayed in longer than I thought. 

_That felt like an hour._

Pulling open the door, I saw that it was dark.

Uchiha-san was back, which meant he probably went to sleep before me. He was probably still mad.

After changing, I got into bed restless. I didn't fall asleep until around four in the morning.

This happened with the past few days as well as my brain racked for a solution.

* * *

"Hyuga-san, are you alright?" one of my classmates asked, peering down at me from above. I rubbed my eyes to adjust my sight. It was Komari-san, the class representative. Unlike the other girls, she didn't turn red for no reason whenever she saw me. 

"I'm fine Komari-san, but thank you for your concern," I smiled to prove it to her.

She had a look of doubt, but quickly dismissed it as she brought up something else.

"By the way, is it true that you and Setsuna-san aren't speaking to each other?"

I sat up in my seat, surprised to find out that she'd known.

"W-Why do you ask?"

She put a finger to her lips in a thoughtful manner. "Well...it's because the two of you are around each other so often, I automatically assumed you were good friends." She paused and raised a brow. "Am I wrong? And besides that, you also share a room."

I waved my hand. "O-Of course not! We are friends, in fact, she's a very close friend of mine, but...we sort of had an argument and now she's ignoring me. It's been like this for almost a week."

Just thinking about it led me to depression once again.

"Really? That's no good. It's best to apologize then."

I slowly turned my head and stared at her. "But...what if it wasn't my fault?"

She stared right back at me. "Is it?"

"Somewhat...yes," I confessed.

"Then apologize. When it comes to friendship, there are all types. The most common one would be the insecure-type."

"Are you saying-"

"I'm saying that...you should let your friends know how important they are to you. Even if you show it everyday through the smallest actions, they won't always understand and misinterpret things."

"_Why don't you tell her what she wants to hear?"_

Sai-san's words suddenly made sense at that moment. I finally understood what he meant by that.

* * *

"As you all know, we've gathered here today in the gymnasium to discuss the issue of students who have gone out and..." 

The headmistresses' voice faded out as I stared straight ahead at the microphone stand she stood at, holding the microphone itself in her hand.

I only thought of one thing, and that was to get on the stage.

"...so, regarding this issue, I'd wisely advise that you remain in a party of three or more." She took a step back, and cleared her throat. "Now, if there's anyone who would like to come up and share a few helpful suggestions or two, then by all means, please do."

I was about to stand up, when a dozen or more girls walked ahead of me, lined up to speak.

_Sigh, this is gonna take a while_.

An hour had passed by the time they all finished. I failed to see though that one of the girls who had went up there was Temari-senpai.

"And one of my kouhai's as well as a close friend, I present to you..." she paused. "Hyuga Hinata!"

The once quiet gym went into a huge uproar as girls everywhere shrieked their lungs out.

My eardrums were ready to explode at any moment. I covered my ears and ran up on stage, upset that Temari-senpai had given me that sort of introduction, but also grateful that she had given me the opportunity to do what I intended in the first place.

Through the screams, she leaned over to me. "You're not mad, are you?"

I puffed my cheeks out angrily, but replaced it with only a look I thought could be seen as grateful. "No...but I'm happy you gave me this chance."

She stared at me with a puzzled expression. "What are you talking about? That I called you up here for you to tell them about how you practice martial arts for your own protection?"

"Err...Never mind."

She shrugged and stepped back to give me my space.

It was nerve-wrecking to stand up on stage in front of so many people, even if they were being loud, but I clenched my fists, reminding myself to calm down and who I was doing it for.

"Hinata ouji-sama!"

"She's so handsome, even in a skirt!"

"Let me bear your children!"

I cringed at the last remark before quickly deciding to ignore it.

I tapped the mic, receiving a loud feedback sound as bad as nails scratching a chalkboard. Everyone immediately quieted down, their eyes on me.

I gulped back my nervousness, and spoke.

"W-Well, to keep a p-predator at bay o-or protect yourself, the b-best thing to do would be to take up k-karate lessons. My f-family has honed th-their own style o-o-of the martial arts, and n-naturally, I've been p-practicing it ever s-since I was y-y-young."

There was a round of applause as everyone nodded their heads approvingly. Even the teachers seemed to agree with it.

I breathed a sigh of relief, thankful that there hadn't been any interjections since the academy had a purpose to raise girls into proper young ladies.

Briefly, I scanned the crowd, looking for the one person who had been on my mind all day and night for the past week. It was a miracle that I had been able to find him at all, even within the crowd of hundreds of girls, but luckily, he sat up front.

Our eyes met for a brief second before he turned away abruptly.

I took in another deep breath, repeating to myself to calm down.

Just as the headmistress was about to dismiss me, taking the microphone away, I grabbed back for it, earning a gasp from her as well as the others.

"Hyuga, did you just-?!"

"Uchiha-san, I'm sorry!"

Their voices suddenly died down as just about everyone turned their eyes on Uchiha-san.

He looked around, probably shocked to see all the attention on him.

This was my chance, and what was left was to prove it.

"It doesn't matter what I call you by!"

His eyes widened in surprise, and the expression on his face earlier had softened, his cheeks tinted pink.

_Ack, I embarrassed him!_

He said nothing and kept his head down. I took it as a sign that I could continue.

"To me, you've always been Uchiha-san! And that's why it's hard for me to just suddenly say your first name!"

I watched for his reaction as he fisted his blue skirt within his hands, trembling.

'_You stupid girl.'_

That was my guess of what he was thinking at the moment, since I had attracted unnecessary attention towards him.

_I'm sorry, but_...

"But...don't worry"

_I just want you to believe me._

"Because...I'll always be your friend."

Uchiha-san finally looked up, embarrassed, a gentle smile on his face.

My heart started to beat faster the second I saw it.

I smiled back at him, but before I could say anything anymore, I remember the distinct sound of cries and everything going dark.

* * *

When I came to, I was staring up at a white ceiling, the bright glare of the light nerving to my eyes. 

_Wha-Where am I?_

"You finally awake?"

I turned my head to see Uchiha-san sitting beside me, amusement apparent on his face.

As if reading my mind, he answered "You're in the infirmary. There's no one else here but us. The nurse left just a little while ago."

I sat up to see myself on the bed. The curtains were closed, giving us the privacy we needed.

"What...What happened?"

He smirked and brought his hand forward to flick my forehead.

"A certain idiot passed out on stage, but...to be honest, I really didn't think you had it in you." His face slowly turned red. "To actually say such embarrassing stuff in front of others, it's like you're doing it on purpose to torment me," he muttered.

"But...I only did it because I like you."

For the first time in my life, never did he look so cute to me as he did now.

He stood up and shoved me down onto the bed, my face hitting the pillow.

"Uchiwha-shan?" (_**A**_**/N: Her voice is muffled cause her face is in the pillow**.)

"Why..._why_ does my friend have to be such an idiot?!"

I couldn't see his face, but I could tell he was blushing.

"Showry." ("Sorry." LOL.)

"Shut up."

I stayed quiet.

"Look, I won't force you to say my name then if you don't want to that badly, but...I _was _ignoring you for a reason you know."

I lifted my head up, curious. "Why?"

"I'm not telling, so let's just forget the whole thing."

Now _that_ only intrigued me even more.

"Tell me!"

"No you idiot! Now shut up and go to sleep!" he cried, pushing my head back down. His face was burning red.

I clicked my tongue at him. "Stingy..."

"Idiot," he shot back.

We sat in silence, probably both thinking the same thing.

_I'm glad we're back to normal_.

* * *

**A/N: So, what'd you think? Oh, and also, I have a feeling everyone is going to look foward to the next chapter. Cause that's when I introduce Hinata's FAMILY! **


	17. My Family

**A/N: The latest chapter, come and read it! Haha, but seriously, I hope everyone will like it. The humor may or may not be to your liking, but give it a try anyways. Like I promised, you'll meet her family, and as for the rest, you'll see later on.**

**Happy reading!**

* * *

**Chapter 17: My Family**

My name is Haruno Sakura. I'm sixteen years old, 5 feet 4 inches, and blood-type O. During my first year of middle school, I had a bad experience with men so now I hate them to the very core of my being. However, there's just one person who's _almost_ an exception...but like I said, ALMOST.

"What do you mean meet your family?" Uchiha asked. He sat on his bed Indian-style with nothing but shorts on while brushing his wig.

_Disgusting_, is what I was thinking at the moment, but what I didn't understand was why my face turned red at seeing him half-naked? I looked into the mirror and slapped myself. "Something must be wrong with me..." _I mean, he __**still **__doesn't look like a guy! Even without the wig!_

"Sakura, do you want to go too?"

"Eh?"

Hinata stood before me, waving her hand in front of my face.

It took a while for me to finally realize what she was talking about. "Oh! You mean going to meet your family?"

She nodded and smiled that cute smile of hers at me that always made my heart melt with guilty pleasure.

_Why does this girl have to be so cute?!_ "Sure! If it's with Hinata, I'll go anywhere with you!" I jumped up to hug her which seemed to have caught the Hyuga by surprise as she fell to the floor.

"Do I have to go?" the Uchiha asked in what could be deemed his whiny voice. "Since Haruno's going, why not take her with you? Besides, I'm busy anyways so-"

He stopped the minute he stared at me. No-wait, actually, he was staring at Hinata. I turned to my adorable friend only to see her pale-lavender eyes watering with tears, her expression full of sadness.

"B-But-But I w-w-wanted U-Uchiha-san to g-go t-t-too because we're f-friends a-and I want m-m-my friends a-and f-family to m-m-meet each o-other," she sniffled. "E-Even H-Haku-san said h-he w-w-would g-go."

I saw the look on his face switch from being annoyed to complete defeat.

He looked hesitant for a second, and then let out a sigh. "Fine...I'll go."

She immediately brightened up at this. "R-Really?"

"Yeah..."

Hinata smiled at him, wiping away her tears. He only blushed and threw his pillow at her face.

_For some reason, I get the feeling that_-I mentally slapped myself for having thought of such a thing. _Nah, I'm probably reading this the wrong way_. _Besides, after that announcement in the gym, they can't be anything more than friends._

I gagged just from remembering it.

The one thing that irked me was the fact that it almost sounded like a confession. ALMOST. And what's more, it was for _that_ guy.

_If she ever did like him in that way, that would be a problem for me then. _

The realization of what I just said struck me.

_Wait a minute_...'_that would be a problem for __**me**__?' I just thought that, right? But it's not like I like him or anything, it's only because men are evil and I don't want my Hinata getting hurt by one. Yeah, that's all it is._

Or at least I hoped it was.

* * *

Hi, I'm Hyuga Hinata. I'm sixteen years old, 5 feet 8 inches, and blood-type A. During my current year of high school, I somehow became involved with two boys who transferred here during the year and found out their secret. The both of them are really pretty and also, I ended up being roommates with the grouchy and rude one, but that's okay, because he's actually a really nice guy.

At this very moment, the two boys, Uchiha-san and Haku-san, and my friend Sakura, are going to visit my family and stay over for two nights. Ever since we finished exams for the ending of the first semester, the academy thought we should be rewarded for our hard work and decided to give the students three days off from classes.

To be honest, I'm kind of nervous about having them meet my family, since they're a little...different.

_I really hope they don't find out about Haku-san and Uchiha-san though, that would be big trouble for the both of them. _

I came to a stop once I realized that we had reached our destination.

_Wow, I almost forgot about where I used to live!_ Berating myself for my own stupidity mentally, I pointed towards my house. "We're here everyone!"

Uchiha-san, Haku-san, and Sakura held their luggage close to them, shivering.

Sakura's eyes widened the minute she caught sight of my home. "Th-This is y-your h-h-house?" she asked through her chattering teeth. "I-It's h-huge!"

I pouted at her exaggeration. "I-It's not that big," I muttered, though I knew what she said was true compared to the other houses.

Haku-san studied it and turned to me. "Y-Your house is the o-only one that looks d-different from the others in this n-neighborhood."

"Oh, that's because my father's an architecture."

He nodded his head. "I see." I turned to Uchiha-san who looked like he was about to be frozen over any minute.

"C-C'mon, let's go inside."

We walked up to the entrance. Before I could raise my hand to even knock on the door, it flew open and a flash of blonde hair met my eyes. I was taken aback when someone pulled me up into a hug.

"Hinata! You're here!"

"N-N-Naruto?!"

Haku-san immediately came forward and pried us apart, apparent anger flashing in his brown eyes. If he could've, I'm sure he would've burned holes in Naruto by now. I somehow got the feeling that he didn't like him although the blonde was completely oblivious to this and only smiled at the effeminate male.

"What's _he_ doing here," he mouthed to me.

"I-I'll explain later."

"Ah! Hi Haku-chan!" he grinned. He smiled at Uchiha-san, earning only a nod from the other boy. The minute his eyes landed on Sakura however, a questioning look came upon his face. "Who's this? Another friend?"

_Oh no, I forgot about Sakura's dislike of men. _I nodded. "Th-This is Haruno Sakura."

He took a step towards her and held out his hand, flashing her another one of his adorable fox-like grins. "Hi, I'm Uzumaki Naruto! My favorite things are sleeping, ramen, and-"

"Don't. Touch. Me," she hissed, her green eyes ablaze. She put no effort into hiding her disgust.

Naruto, who was known for being the oblivious fool he was only continued to smile, taking her hand in his and shaking it anyways. "Nice to meet you too!"

Sakura froze on the spot, her face color changing to a sickly pale green as she pulled her hand out of his, staggering over to the door entrance. "P-Please forgive my intrusion," she muttered before stepping in.

The others followed after her, Naruto seeming to be the only one who was enthusiastic.

_Maybe I shouldn't have brought them along_...

* * *

The five of us were seated in the main room, under the kotatsu.

I sipped at my hot chocolate, briefly glancing over everyone and the expressions on their faces.

Sakura looked like she was about to throw a fit. Uchiha-san looked like he was about to fall asleep. Haku-san glared angrily at Naruto and well, Naruto only ignored him, munching happily on a rice cracker.

_This isn't good. I wanted them to have fun over their break, not waste it and get bored like this._

Sighing, I looked around; taking notice that not much had changed during my absence. My father was an old-fashioned Japanese, but began warming up to the new and advanced technology Japan had to offer. The house had a mix of modern and traditional features.

I heard a cough from my left. It was Haku-san. He jabbed a thumb in the direction of the blonde.

_Oh, right. _

"I-I forgot to ask you earlier, but...what are you doing here Naruto?"

He blinked at the question I had asked him and smiled at me adorably.

"I'm staying here of course!"

"EEEEHHHHHH?!" To my surprise, Sakura and Haku-san had both sat straight up, slamming their hands down upon the table in unison.

I couldn't help but feel a bit frightened at the anger mark that had appeared beside Haku-san's temple. His usually pretty face was replaced with slits for eyes and a forced smile. "You're...you're staying here?" he asked, his left eye twitching.

Naruto took a sip of his cola, before proceeding to wipe his mouth and answer. "I just said it, didn't I?" He leaned back into a comfortable position, using his arms as support. "And if you're wondering why, it turns out that the dormitories at my school are under renovation. Turns out some jerk burned down the buildings because of a low test score his teacher refused to change." He averted his eyes towards me. "Sad, isn't it?" Grinning, he also added "Oh, and I'm sleeping in your room for the time being."

I watched in semi-horror as Sakura, holding her cup of green-tea in hand, held onto it so tightly that it shattered. She sat there, a similar expression of Haku-san's on her face, an anger mark beside her temple. Uchiha-san who had fallen asleep, right in the middle of the day, snored peacefully, tucked under the warmed blankets of the kotatsu. Of all the times, why did he choose _now_ to be indifferent to the current situation? Sweat beaded my forehead as I witnessed the murderous glares Haku-san and Sakura were giving Naruto.

**Sakura's thoughts : **_This blonde idiot_...

**Haku's thoughts: **..._slept in Hinata-chan's room?!_

Naruto pounded a fist within the palm of his other hand, as if a thought had just occurred to him. "Oh! By the way Hinata, I noticed that you're room hasn't changed at all in the past three years." He smiled at me so sweetly that I almost fell in love with him for a second time. "I can still remember that night we spent together on your bed. Your hair smelled so good that I was ready to attack you at that time."

If anything, one of the natural abilities of Naruto's was to embarrass someone so badly, that he could even do it in front of others without feeling guilty.

"N-Naruto!" I blushed, directing my frown at him for the unnecessary comment. He simply grinned.

"Ha-ha, I'm just kidd-"

He was cut off shortly from there as Sakura appeared before him on top of the table in a crouching position on one knee, the slit on the side of her long skirt revealing her smooth and white leg. She held a small pocket blade underneath his chin, tracing it down to the slope of his neck where the blade gleamed dangerously at his throat.

"How would you like to see the bottom of Tokyo Bay?" she threatened in a low voice.

Haku-san jumped on him from behind, his arms locked around the blonde's neck. "How about we _choke_ him to death?" Haku-san chimed in a bit too happily. Sakura nodded her head.

"Agreed."

Just as they were about to attack Naruto, the sound of the door opening and closing came from the entrance of the house. Everyone remained perfectly still, waiting for whoever it was that just entered to enter the main room. My breath hitched in my throat. Who could it have been? Surely not my father, at least...I hoped so. The last thing I wanted him to do was to scare off my friends. He was well-known for that which was the reason as to why I decided to stop inviting anyone to my house. Although my father scared them, it wasn't intentional. He just didn't exactly know how to deal with other girls, besides the ones in our family. Whenever he tried smiling, it only came out as creepy and strange. Despite all that, I still loved him, as I did with everyone else.

"Naruto! You left your cell phone in my room again!" called a familiar voice. I stood up to greet the one person I expected to see walk through the doorway.

Mid-length, silky brown hair swished behind the person's back, a nostalgic scent invading my senses. The smell of faint cologne mixed with the sweet scent of roses. A slim and thin figure stepped into the room, surprise clearly written on their face that held long eyelashes above pale-lavender eyes like my own along with translucent white skin and sakura-colored lips. This was someone I hadn't seen in over a year.

"Hi...Hinata?" his voice sounded hoarse, as if not believing what he saw before his very eyes.

I shyly nodded my head. "It's...good to see you again...Neji nii-san."

Holding the cell phone within his hand, he nonchalantly threw it at Naruto's head, earning a cry of pain from the other boy whom he ignored. Without warning, he leaped over the table to grab hold and pull me into a crushing hug.

* * *

"So...let me get this straight. You're...Hinata's older cousin?"

Nii-san nodded while pulling back his long hair into a loose pony-tail, positioning himself to sit seiza-style.

Sakura continued on. "And...you're _male_?" her eyes widened as she blinked in curiosity. Again, nii-san only nodded.

Five seconds, ten seconds, twenty seconds before the guests I had brought along laughed aloud while openly showing how humored they were as they banged their fists repeatedly against the carpeted floor. As much as I wanted to stop them, it was by this point useless as they were already in a world of their own. If only they'd known about nii-san's complex towards himself.

"BWHAHAHAHA! I CAN'T STOP LAUGHING! IT'S TOO FUNNY!" Sakura cried aloud, holding onto the front of her stomach as if in immense pain. "THERE'S NO WAY YOU'RE A GUY WITH THOSE LOOKS!"

Uchiha-san and Haku-san held onto each other to keep from falling, while continuing to laugh. In truth, I wanted to help nii-san, but he had his own pride which all males took pleasure in defending. I looked to him for his permission, and yet, he only sat there with a blush on his face which only made him look prettier. I took that as a yes and decided to speak up.

"S-Sakura, don't laugh at Neji nii-san...please?"

She continued banging the floor with one hand, the other firmly planted down to support her. This only made her look un-lady-like compared to the image she gave at school in front of others. A well-mannered and educated maiden.

I clasped my hands together in a praying position. "Pretty...please?"

Haku-san and Sakura immediately went silent, and did an imitation of zipping their lips shut. Uchiha-san on the other hand continued to laugh until his voice died out, flat on his back, panting.

Nii-san coughed. "Well...now that everyone's done _laughing_," he glared at Uchiha-san who paid him no mind. "Would you be so kind as to give me your names?"

Introductions were done accordingly as they gave their names, properly introducing themselves. Nii-san seemed especially impressed with my three guests.

"I see...so Haruno-san, you plan on taking up medical school in favor of the position of a doctor?"

Sakura sat the proper way a Japanese woman should sit compared to the way she sat earlier. Haku-san and Uchiha-san did so as well, bringing me relief. If nii-san were to find out the two of them were actually boys, he'd most likely beat them up. The problem was...nii-san was very sharp.

_We should be able to fool him though since the both of them are so pretty_. _But I can't say that since it would only make them mad_.

With nii-san's looks, Sakura had no problem pretending that he wasn't a boy, so she politely answered his questions, allowing them to engage in an intelligent conversation. As for the rest of us, Naruto gestured for us to follow him. We stood up and did so, only to realize that he had led us into the kitchen.

The wall and floor tiles were all pure white and sparkling. The stove looked new as did everything else from the refrigerator to the sink, counters, table and chairs. We sat down at the table while Naruto went over to the sink to refill the kettle with water. When he finished, he took his seat next to me and smiled. Haku-san and Uchiha-san sat across the two of us.

"If you're wondering why it's so clean, think of it as payment for my staying here," Naruto answered as if reading my exact thoughts. Cleaning for my family was practically impossible since everyone left for work or was busy with school.

"Wow! You really cleaned all of this Naruto?" He nodded his head and grinned.

"Yup. Are you proud of me?"

"Very."

"Then how about a reward?" he asked, sneaking an arm around my shoulders.

"Sure! What would you like?"

He averted his eyes towards Uchiha-san and Haku-san before replying in an unusual low and husky voice.

"Share a bed with me again tonight?"

I clamped my hands over Naruto's mouth, not understanding why he found it fun to embarrass me in front of my friends.

Haku-san slammed his fist down on the table, leaving a rather large crack near the edge. He opened his mouth to say something, but before he could do so, there were shrieks and the sound of screaming girls coming from the front of my house. The four of us got up to run into the main room. In the entrance hall stood a figure at the doorway, trying to shut the door where several arms flailed about to push their way in. When the door was finally shut and locked in place, a young boy with brown shoulder-length hair turned around, raking back his bangs with a hand. Oh-wait. That was actually my sister Hanabi.

_Hanabi?! Is that really her?!_

Flustered, she flipped back her hair and let out a weary sigh. "I can't believe they found out it was me," she mumbled, not realizing the people around her. When she finally did notice, her eyes gazed around before she locked onto me, blinking with a shocked look on her face. "Nee-chan? Is that you?" she asked, peering questioningly.

"H-Hello?"

She ran forward to hug me, giving me a kiss on the cheek as well. "It _is_ you!" she cried, hugging me even tighter with each passing second.

My sister Hyuga Hanabi should've been thirteen years old by now. The last time I saw her, she'd been a cute and sweet-looking girl who would look good in the kitchen baking pastries. But now...well...let's just say there weren't any traces of the girl I knew a year ago left. Her clothes were just about as boyish as mine, maybe even more, but...there was something different about her as well. She looked...cool. Light-brown bangs fell over her pale-lavender eyes, her hair on a bit of the messy side, but matching her personality. It somehow seemed to suit her stylish way of dressing. She wore a black-collared shirt with two undone buttons, a loose and silky red tie hanging around her neck complete with dark pants, shoes, and a long silver chain hanging at her hip. If she had dark-blue hair, she could've easily passed off for me, only cooler.

* * *

"Y-You're a model?!" I cried, standing up without realizing it. The news really came as a shock to me. Uchiha-san didn't seem too interested, but Haku-san and Sakura on the other hand seemed to be thinking hard about something.

Taking a sip of water from her bottle, she only smiled at me. "You don't have to sound so surprised, silly. Besides, I've been in the business during the year we didn't see you."

"But-with a job, doesn't it affect your schoolwork?"

She merely stared at me before getting up from her chair to run upstairs and back down with a stack of papers in hand, placing them before me. I leafed through them only to see something unexpected.

"They...They all have perfect marks." That was something I couldn't believe. She had a perfect mark on every test she had taken, English, Japanese literature, Math, Science and History, exactly when did she have the time to study for all of them with a job on the side?

"Now you know why I'm not against her having a job," nii-san whispered to me.

"Yeah, and besides, I'm also bringing in some money myself. You should be proud of me nee-chan," she pouted.

"Well...I guess so, but as long as you-"

**Sakura and Haku-san**: "AH!"

**Haku-san**: I just remembered-

**Sakura**: -who you are!

**Sakura and Haku-san**: "You're that model from the _Mirror-Boy_ magazine! _Moriyama Kai_!"

"Moriyama...Kai?" I turned to my sister. "Hanabi, why do you have a boy name-?" she put a finger to her lips, indicating for me to be quiet. Nii-san did the same and shook his head. _Huh? Why are they-?_

Sakura looked thoughtful, resting her chin upon her hand. "But...if you're Moriyama Kai, then why does Hinata call you Hana-" she froze, a look of realization on her face. "W-Wait a minute...don't tell me that you're...actually a girl?"

_Now_ Uchiha-san was interested. He had sat up straight and seemed to be watching them.

Hanabi blushed and smiled at her timidly. "Eh? Why would you think that?"

Determination on her face, Sakura marched over to Hanabi and stood behind her. The unexpected followed.

"KYAAAAAAAHHHH!!!"

She grabbed Hanabi's chest, fondling it.

My sister never looked more embarrassed in her whole life. She wrapped her arms around herself tightly, glaring at Sakura angrily. "What did you do _that_ for?!"

The pink-haired girl only stared at her hand. "It's on the small side, but you do have somewhat of a chest even if you are still in the developing stage." She grinned. "Your scream and reaction just now also proves it."

"It's no wonder I thought you looked like someone. And it actually turned out to be your own sister." Hearing Haku-san say that reminded me of what he had said a while back.

"_I thought it was just my imagination, but you really look like someone I've seen before. The only difference is your facial expression, hair color and length."_

_Oh, so that's what he meant!_

Hanabi sighed once again. "Looks like my cover's blown."

Everyone remained silent, unsure of what to say.

"Actually, I'm modeling as a boy. My stage name is Moriyama Kai since the agency thought it would be best for my own safety if I ever had any fans that would come after me. Those girls from earlier are an example. It seems they followed me home right after my photo-shoot."

"But since they know where you live now, won't it be trouble for you?" asked Haku-san.

"About that...my agency promised me that if something like this happened, they would take care of it. I don't know how, but they said they would."

"Then...why are they still outside in front of the house?"

I hadn't noticed it until now, but Uchiha-san wasn't in his seat. He stood at the kitchen window, staring outside. "They look kind of angry," he added, turning his head to get a better look at them.

Hanabi slapped her forehead. "Damn! Where are those idiots when I need them?" She sighed for the final time and crossed her arms over the front of her chest. "Looks like I'll have to switch to plan B."

I had a bad feeling about this. "Wh-What's plan B?"

She only smirked at me. "Just watch."

* * *

An hour had passed since the several fan-girls stood outside the so-called house of the popular model Moriyama Kai, their love. After finishing his photo-shoot they went so far as to follow the young teen heartthrob to his own house, waiting for him out in the cold.

"Where's Kai-sama?"

"How could he stay inside knowing that we're out here?"

"Maybe he's taking a shower?"

"Or he could be using the toilet."

Every one of them went into a dream-like state, fantasizing, that is until the door was gently pushed open. They eagerly waited for him to appear from behind the door only to see a very pretty girl with mid-length wavy-blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes to their disappointment.

"Yes? May I help you?" she asked timidly, coming out for them to see her wearing a rather short and revealing night-dress with the straps hanging off of her shoulders.

_S-Sexy_, they all thought, gulping down the lumps in their throats, but that alone wouldn't stop them from getting to their _Kai-sama_.

One girl boldly asked while stammering "Wh-Where's K-K-Kai-sama?"

"We want to see him!" another girl demanded.

The blonde paused and looked confused for a moment. "Kai...sama?"

"Don't play dumb, we saw him go in there!"

"Yeah, you're probably just trying to keep him all for yourself!"

Before the slow blonde had a chance to say anything, a pink-haired girl entered the scene. She was beautiful as well, dressed in very short lavender-shorts with a matching halter top that revealed her smooth and white skin. Her jade-green eyes flashed with annoyance. "Do you girls need something?"

They all glanced at each other, afraid to speak. This girl was defiantly more intimidating than the blonde. She also looked angry. One brave girl spoke up.

"W-We're all here to see Kai-sama!"

"And?" she asked, tucking back a lock of hair. "What if I said he's not here?"

There were angry outbursts at the false reply.

"He is here!"

"Don't lie!"

"We saw him ourselves!"

She merely smirked, making herself look even sexier. Before she could say anything, another girl entered the scene, with waist-length brown hair and eyes. She wore a short sky-blue skirt and a sleeveless shirt with a picture of a small bunny on the front. Again, she was also very beautiful. "What's the problem out here?" she asked, rubbing at her eyes sleepily.

_Another one?!_

Now if anything, to see three beautiful girls come out from the same house of their prince, any girl would get angry. It's kind of like having your sister steal the last ice-cream bar in the freezer from you, but then again that's a bad example so forget what was just said. As any girl would do, one fan-girl did the only thing she could think of at that moment.

"WHO ARE YOU SLUTS?!" she shrieked, pulling at her hair.

There were gasps from everyone at the sudden outburst, but also for another reason.

"What's with all the noise out here?"

And ta-da! Standing there between the three girls stood their beloved Kai-sama, who looked as though he had just woken up, his short mussed-up hair making him look only sexier. He had on the same clothes, the only difference was that his shirt was fully unbuttoned with a loose white top underneath, the collar of it low enough to reveal his collarbone. Oh how they wished he hadn't been wearing a shirt underneath.

Everyone's eyes turned into heart-shapes at the sight of him before them.

"Kai-sama!"

"I love you!"

"Please marry me!"

There were ridiculous requests spoken out until the very same girl who had said the 'mean word' earlier spoke up. "Kai-sama, who exactly are _these_ girls?" She crossed her arms over her chest in annoyance, frowning at the said three.

The prince only smiled at them. "Them? They're my coworkers," he answered. "Why do you ask?"

At a loss for words, she stammered. "C-Coworkers? Th-That can't be true! All of you look as though you just woke up! Coworkers wouldn't sleep together, they would be rehearsing!"

Moriyama Kai gave them a smirk only a girl would find appealing. "Oh? But I beg to differ." He slipped his arms around the blond and pink-haired girl with the brunette standing behind him with her arms around his neck. "We _are_ rehearsing." All the girl's faces went a complete white at this. "Now if you don't mind, I'd like to work with them, _alone_."

Tears filled their eyes as their faces went red at having caught the meaning in his words. In a few seconds, every one of them had run away bawling.

* * *

Never in all my life was I as shocked as I was now. I fell to my knees, my legs weak. "H...Hanabi...don't you think...that was a bit _too_ much?"

My sister pulled off her brown-haired short wig, fixing her real mussed-up hair. "Nah, it's fine. I've done worse."

_That's not something to be so indifferent about!_

Neji nii-san pulled off his blonde wig, removing the blue contacts from his eyes as well. Tears of embarrassment streamed down his blush-stained face. "Someone, please kill me..." he muttered before falling to the floor in a heap. Sakura blushed as well, not believing what she had just done.

Haku-san was the only one who seemed happy about the whole situation. "Ha-ha that was fun! Setsuna-chan, you should've joined us!"

"LIKE HELL I WOULD!" Uchiha-san cried, his face blue with horror and disgust.

Naruto stood on the side, snickering to himself.

I'd never planned for any of this to happen. I just wanted my friends to meet my family like people normally do and get along.

_Why does my family have to be so embarrassing? _

* * *

**A/N: I hope this chapter was enough to satisfy you until a while. If anyone's noticed by now, you can see that my chapters are much longer than the ones in my previous stories, but that's only because I'm on a roll with this one. Watch out though, I may have writer's block one day and completely forget about this story. LOL. Joking. I'd never do that to you guys. I really appreciate your kind comments through the reviews. They help a lot. As grateful as I am, I don't know any other way to express it than say thank you. **

**BTW, you may have noticed that Hanabi is ALMOST like Hinata. Only she's bolder. As for Neji, I apologize to his fans out there. I don't think anyone would want to see their favorite male character turned feminine, but I couldn't help it. Sorry!**


	18. Spending Time Together

**A/N: NEW CHARACTER ALERT! Try and guess who it is, but no peeking till you get there! LOL. Have fun reading, and please don't forget to click that review button. (3**

**Warning: BIG Shoujo-ai/Yuri alert! Almost all pairings will be perfectly straight though, so no worries. (:**

* * *

**Chapter 18: Spending Time Together **

I woke up the next day to a snoring Naruto.

"KYAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!"

**Neji nii-san**: "What is it?!"

**Sakura**: "What happened?!"

**Haku-san**: "What's wrong?!"

**Uchiha-san**: "WHY THE HELL ARE ALL OF YOU SO DAMN LOUD?!!!"

The three of them ran in through the doorway and stood beside my bed in silence, staring down at Naruto's sleeping form. Uchiha-san stood at the doorway, yawning with his mouth wide open. Very un-lady-like.

"A-Ah, I'm sorry everyone, I-I was just so surprised when I woke up to see Naruto sleeping n-next to me." I looked down at him. He cuddled himself in closer to me, smiling.

"Hinata...you're the best..." If it weren't for the fact that everyone was in the room at the moment, I would've hugged him so hard for being absolutely adorable.

_Must control_...I looked back up at the three, only to see that two of them were missing. "Eh? Where's Sakura and Haku-san?"

"Never mind them," said Neji nii-san. He reached out to hold Naruto by the front of his shirt and shake him. "Wake up you blonde idiot!" Naruto responded to this by opening his eyes halfway, rubbing at them sleepily.

"Hn? Neji? What are you doing in my room?" he yawned.

"Since when did you have a room?! The only place you'll sleep at is in my room on the floor-"

"Ah, did you finally recognize my love for you-?" he was immediately cut off with a powerful punch to the face.

"N-Nii-san?!" _He's fast!_

This time, he reached out to wrap a hand around Naruto's neck, his eyes dark with anger. "**Did those words just come out of THIS mouth?**"

"N-No Neji-sama..." he answered in a choked voice.

"Just because you're Hinata's childhood friend, something like that wouldn't stop me from killing you," he threatened.

"We're right behind you one-hundred percent."

Haku-san held a long rope. "I'll tie him up."

Sakura held a huge, black plastic trash-bag. "I'll put him in this bag."

**Haku-san and Sakura**: -and THEN we'll throw him into Tokyo Bay!"

Just as they were about to pounce on him, Hanabi appeared at the doorway beside Uchiha-san who had fallen asleep while standing up. "If all of you are done playing, I'd like to have some breakfast before I leave for my job."

* * *

"Waaaaah! Hinata-chan, you look so cute in that apron!" Haku-san gushed, placing his hands over his red face. Sakura nodded her head, agreeing as well.

"He's right, but you always have been cute Hinata." She came from behind and wrapped her arms around my waist, our bodies touching. "Ahhh...if only I were born a man, I would've attacked you here and now," she sighed wistfully. Neji nii-san spit his coffee out at this, spraying it over Uchiha-san who was still half-asleep.

_I'm sorry, I'll tell you later nii-san! _

After Haku-san and I finished cooking, although he did most of the work, I set down the large plate full of stacked pancakes. "They're done!" Everyone took one, stuffing it into their mouths, Hanabi especially. "Hanabi, be careful! If you don't take the time to eat slowly, you might get indigestion later!"

She didn't seem to take my scolding seriously and instead replied "Gomen nee-chan, it's just that if I don't hurry up, I won't make it in time for the photo shoot," she explained, shoving down her fourth pancake into her mouth. Standing up from her seat, she gulped down the entire glass of milk. Wiping her mouth, she leaned over quickly to peck me on the cheek. "I'll see you later, bye-bye!" I sighed inwardly. The girl was a complete tomboy now. It made me a little sad, but it didn't change who she was. When Hanabi was gone, Neji nii-san stood up as well, wiping carefully at the corners of his mouth.

"Well, I guess I should leave for school right now." He stood there, while everyone else continued to eat. Suddenly, he let out a cough, the kind you do when you want somebody's attention. It took me a while to figure out what he finally meant. Walking over, I leaned in to kiss him on the cheek. He gratefully returned it with a smile and a kiss as well. "Arigatou." When Neji nii-san was gone as well, my three guests looked up at me from their seats with their mouths wide-open.

"W-What's wrong?"

Sakura continued to stare at me in shock. "N-Nothing, it's just...I didn't think your family would be so intimate with each other."

"O-Oh! Um…I lived in America for a year and over there, p-people kiss to greet or part from each other."

"Well, that would explain why you three kissed each other," said Uchiha-san, taking another bite of his pancakes. He looked at me from the corner of his eye. "Aren't you going to eat?" I shook my head.

"I-I'm fine, besides, I don't have too much of an appetite right now."

"That's no good," said Naruto. He slung his uniform jacket over his shoulder and came up to me. "Say 'Ah'."

"Ah?" It was done on reflex. Quickly, he slipped something sweet into my mouth. I chewed and swallowed it down. It was a piece of the pancake from his plate.

"You have to eat something in the morning or you won't feel well later in the afternoon," he smiled. He brought his finger to his lips, licking the tip. "Delicious." I hadn't caught onto his meaning after I realized what he just did.

_He fed me the pancake with his fingers so_... "N-Naruto!" Why was he teasing me so much in front of my friends? He only laughed and patted my head.

"Sorry Hinata." He kissed me on the forehead. "I'm leaving for school now, bye everyone!" His eyes lingered on Haku-san and Sakura before heading out. For some reason, the two of them got mad at Naruto whenever he did something embarrassing to me. It was as though he was _asking_ for trouble. They followed him to the doorway where sounds of beatings were heard.

"You damn blonde!"

"Stupid pervert!"

I sighed, and begin gathering the plates. I might as well make myself useful for the short time I'd be here. Turning on the sink faucet, I reached for the sponge, but a hand overlapped my own. I flinched at the touch. "I'll help," said Uchiha-san.

"Ah, o-okay." And so, we did the dishes together. He soaped them while I rinsed and dried them, placing them into the dishwasher.

"Your family...seems nice."

"Huh?" The sudden words had surprised me. Was he just being polite, or did he really mean it? "Um...I guess so, but then again, they can be pretty weird."

"There's nothing wrong with that though, right? I mean, all families are different. That's what makes them special in their own way. And from what I see, I can tell that all of you get along really well."

"W-We do."

He set down the plate to look at me. "That's nice," he smiled. "You're really lucky."

Again, my heart started to pound at the rare sight of his smiling face. He was really beautiful when he smiled. It was enough to entrance me.

When he noticed that I was staring at him, his face immediately turned bright red. "Wh-What are you looking at me like that for? Hurry up and dry the plate's stupid!"

"Y-Yes!" I quickly grabbed the dish towel and began drying the plates.

* * *

"Whoooooaaaaaa! Look at this!" I set down the game controller and turned my head at Haku-san's voice. He sat crossed-legged on the couch, staring intensely at a magazine. "You're sister is _really_ good, she gives off the look of a 'bishounen' (pretty boy) completely." I climbed up to sit beside him, leaning in closer to get a better look.

"Wow, you're right. I didn't know Hanabi could look so cool in a picture." Oddly, a strange feeling of pride welled up in my chest.

"Yeah...cool," Haku-san's voice trailed off. He seemed to be staring at me. When I realized why, I backed away.

"S-Sorry! I didn't m-mean to sit so close t-to you!" A look of disappointment came over his face. He sighed. This only confused me even more. "I-Is something wrong?"

"No, nevermind." He smiled at me. "Sorry for interrupting you, you can go back to playing your game."

"Ah, its okay, I was going to turn it off anyways." Standing up, I stretched my arms over my head. "I'm going to take a bath, okay?" His face turned red at this as he slowly nodded.

* * *

The bathroom was sparkling clean the minute I walked into it. The floor and wall tiles were a shiny-white, the toilet bowl, sink, and tub all cleaned as well. It smelled of cleaning solutions and a mixture of lavender, my favorite.

Filling up the tub, I removed my clothes and threw them into the basket, taking a seat on the low stool, while spraying myself with warm water. I scrubbed my arms and legs, using the sweet-pea body wash. The whole bathroom was eventually fogged up; the body-sized mirror anything but clear. I wiped at it with my hand, to see my own reflection, a pale and boyish-looking girl with short dark-blue locks and pale eyes. My body was nowhere near having the curves a girl should have, and my frame itself was thin and taller than most girls. A sigh escaped my lips. "There's nothing feminine about me at all..." I muttered to myself, proceeding to soak in the tub of hot water.

"_He's right, but you always have been cute Hinata."_ I couldn't really believe Sakura's words this morning. Me? _Cute_? The thought itself was funny, but impossible. I was anything but cute. If I was cute, boys would've been all over me, right? Instead, their faces turned red and they only fainted or ran away. _Am Ithat_ _weird-looking?_ My current thoughts were a depression, but suddenly, the bathroom door opened. On reflex, I quickly wrapped my arms around myself, even though I didn't have much to show in the first place. "Wh-Who's there?!"

Through the steam, I could see pink hair, a wave of relief washing over me. Thank god, it was just Sakura. She entered, with nothing but a towel wrapped around herself. Quickly disposing of it, she jumped into the tub and hugged me. It was crushing _and_ breath-taking, which I meant in a literal sense. My lungs were being crushed.

"S-S-Sakura?! What's wr-wrong?"

"You're so cruel! How could you take a bath without inviting your best friend!" she cried. I couldn't tell if she was faking it or not. I'm pretty sure she wasn't aware of it, but I knew her ability as an actor. And she was very good at it. "If you'd call me earlier, than I could've helped you wash your back and a whole lot of other places that are hard to reach!" She seemed to be thinking about this for a bit before her face turned completely red, her nose dripping with blood.

"Waaah! S-Sakura? What's wrong? Th-The water can't be that hot, and you just got in here too!" She simply turned her head away, her hand over her nose.

"Forget it, if I were to tell you what I was thinking about, you'd only be dirtied..." she mumbled. Washing away the blood, she faced me once again and looked over my body, as if examining it. That made me uncomfortable.

"Wh-What are you doing?"

"Checking to see if you've developed anywhere yet," she replied nonchalantly. I blushed and tried covering myself, but it was as if she could see through me anyways. "Wow, you must still be an A-cup," she laughed.

"Sakura!" I stood up, ready to get out.

"Haha, sorry, you know I'm only joking. C'mon, sit back down. I hesitated." Her eyes looked over me once again. "But...I think you've grown somewhat. She reached out and placed her hands on my hips. "See? You're starting to get the curves down here," she grinned. I used my hand to splash water at her face. She sputtered, shaking her head. "Hey! Where do you think you're going?" I tried to get out of the tub as quickly as possible, but she grabbed onto my wrist and pulled me back in, creating a huge splash. I fell on top of her. Luckily, the bath tub was big enough for three people, so she only hit the bottom of it. We both sat up, sputtering while laughing at the same time. There was a longing look in her gaze as she stared at me. My heartbeat quickened a bit. This happened with anyone who was pretty though. Sakura moved behind me and wrapped her arms from around my back, her hands resting beside my breasts. Her own chest was pressed against me. I gulped down the lump in my throat. They were...big.

"Sa...Sakura?" She didn't say anything, but whispered "Shhh," to me. Turning my head to face her, I could see her green eyes clearly through the warm steam. They were hypnotizing...and beautiful. I couldn't tear my gaze away from her, it was hard to. Her lips were so close to my own. It looked as though she wore lip-gloss or some sort, but in reality, it was her own natural beauty. She only wore make-up on special occasions. She moved in closer, her hand now on my shoulder, the other gently holding my face. It was then that I realized what she was trying to do. "Sakura, w-we shouldn't do...this." The look on her face implied that she hadn't heard or seen me. Her eyes were now closed, the long lashes touching her face. To push her away suddenly would seem very awkward, not that it wasn't already.

With each passing second, her lips came closer. I couldn't help but be pulled in by her beauty. She looked _very_ sexy right now, enough to sway my thoughts from what we were about to do. _I think there's something wrong with me_... Strangely though, I tilted my head back, ready to receive.

_**BANG!**_

"What happened? I heard loud noises in here, are you okay?!"

We both froze and moved our gazes to the doorway to see Uchiha-san standing there, the once flustered expression on his face slowly disappearing. I returned the stare, too shocked to notice that Haku-san now stood at the doorway as well, panting. "Wh-What's wrong? I heard Sasuke and..."He trailed off the minute his eyes spotted us together. The both of them stood there, their faces bright red.

They remained silent, we said nothing.

In a few seconds, Sakura hurled the wooden bucket at Uchiha-san's face, knocking him down to the floor.

* * *

"Ow, ow, ow! It hurts damn it!"

"Calm down idiot, if I don't put this on you, it'll leave a scar on your pretty face," said Haku-san. I peeked from behind the doorway to see how he was doing, still embarrassed from earlier.

Haku-san was gently applying an ointment on the large bruise above Uchiha-san's left eyebrow. He winced in pain, but tried to remain still. "Are you going to just stand there or come in stupid?" he growled. I was more scared than surprised that he knew I had been there the whole time, especially when his eyes were closed.

"I-I'm sorry..."

Haku-san stuck the bandage over the bruise, before brushing Uchiha-san's bangs to cover it. "What are you apologizing for?" he asked. Uchiha-san scoffed.

"Exactly. The one who should be apologizing is that crazy friend of yours," he growled.

"I'm p-pretty sure she didn't do it to hurt you though, she was o-only embarrassed."

"Humph, well, she should be. The both of you should be actually." Uchiha-san lightly scratched the side of his face, his cheeks slightly reddening. "I didn't think girls were _that_ close when they took a bath together. You almost looked like-"

"-But you aren't," Haku-san cut in. "Right?"

I immediately shook my head in reply. This somehow reminded me of the last time he had asked me that question. A look of relief came over his face. "That's good." He knocked Uchiha-san on the head, who let out a cry of pain. "Hurry up and put your wig on you idiot." He complied with Haku-san's order while grumbling.

* * *

_Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god! He saw me, he saw me NAKED!_ I slid down to the floor, sitting against the wall. It was too much of a shock. _Why the __**hell**__ did I do that?! I almost kissed Hinata! But at that time, I was thinking of_...

My face burned red just from remembering it. I slapped my cheeks to help calm myself down, but it hardly did anything other than sting. "Ow..." Something was definitely wrong with me. Why would I think of _him_? In the beginning, I had only meant to fool around with the girl, but...seeing her wet skin and hair, the sweet scent in the room, not to mention the hot water and steam. All of it had made me somewhat dizzy. Hinata and the Uchiha had a few similarities, being the fact that they both had a dark hair color and were fair-skinned. I clamped my hands over my mouth.

"Something's really wrong with me." _My heart_..._is pounding so hard that it hurts_. I pulled up my legs to hug them, resting my chin between my knees. I heard the sound of footsteps in the hallway. They stopped at my door. Slowly, the door opened. I looked up to see the Uchiha peeking in, a cautious look on his face.

"You're not gonna hit me again, are you?" he asked suspiciously.

"Shut up," I muttered.

"I apologized didn't I?"

"..."

"Fine, it doesn't matter to me, but whenever you're ready, come down and eat. That transvestite made lunch for the four of us." Once he closed the door, I could hear him going downstairs, his footsteps disappearing in the few seconds that he had been here. My face felt so hot at the moment, I wasn't sure of what to do. I didn't want to admit it, but...

...I think my heart was pounding...over him.

* * *

Taking a bite of the hamburger steak, my mouth went into full-mode bliss. I set down my fork and reached for his hands, holding them in my own. "Haku-san, please marry me."

His face turned red as he gaped at me. "Wha-What?!"

I laughed and gently patted his arm. "I'm just kidding." He looked disappointed when I said this, but I was guessing that it was just my imagination. "But...wow, you're cooking is really good! It might be even better than Sakura's! I usually eat store-bought food, but it's so nice to have a home-cooked meal." I smiled at him. "Whoever marries you will be a very lucky girl." His head dropped to the table. "Wah! A-Are you okay?"

Uchiha-san took a sip of his water. "Don't say anymore or you'll really kill him. He looks like he's about to die."

"D-Did I say something wrong?"

"You're very inconsiderate, you know that?" Sakura stood in the entrance of the kitchen, leaning against the side-wall with her arms crossed.

I brightened upon seeing her face. She looked normal, the same Sakura that I've always known. "What were you doing in your room for so long? Ah! But come and try the hamburger steak Haku-san made first, it's delicious!" She smiled her princess-like smile and took her seat beside me.

"Will you feed me?"

Was it just me or did everyone have fun teasing me? "Sakura, s-stop being silly!" She stuck her tongue out playfully.

"Just kidding!"

All of us ate normally; the only problem was that whenever Sakura and Uchiha-san's eyes met, she immediately turned away, as if purposely trying to avoid him. But then again, I may have been reading too much into it. While Haku-san explained to me what dishes were his specialty, the phone rang. "Oh, I'm sorry, please wait a minute Haku-san." I stood up to answer the phone. "Hello? This is they Hyuga residence, may I ask who's calling?" But what I didn't expect was...

"_NEE-CHAN! Nee-chan, is that you?!_"

...for Hanabi to be on the other end. "Hanabi? What is it?" She sounded frantic, almost to the point of being hysterical.

"_Thank god, I'm so glad you answered the phone." _She paused for a moment._ "Is_..._nii-san there?_"

"No, he isn't, but why do you ask?"

"_Please, I need you to come to the studio I'm at quickly_!"

"Eh? Why-?"

"-_And bring you're friends too_!" she interrupted.

"But-!"

"_Please, hurry_!" She sounded so desperate, as if her life depended on it.

"O-Okay..." It was really hard for me to say no.

"_Great! Now get a paper and pen so you can write down the address_!"

* * *

And so, we now stood in front of a VERY large building that was most likely over thirty feet. A cold wind blew, causing the four of us to shiver. For the fall season, it was awfully chillier than usual.

"It's...huge," said Sakura, breaking the silence. She breathed onto her hands and rubbed them together for heated friction. "I guess that's what you would expect though coming from a world-wide popular magazine."

Upon entering the building, we stepped into a world not of our own. The floor was a shiny and smooth marble surface with working employees running around everywhere, telephones ringing, and unbelievably handsome men in heated discussions or just coming out from the elevators. There was a huge glass fish-tank that covered the whole wall on both sides of the building, tropical fish of all types and colors swimming about, complete with different types of colored coral at the bottom. In short, it was beautiful. "Wow, they're so pretty!" I couldn't help but gush in adoration and run up to the glass tank, staring at every single fish that swam by me. With a yank, I was pulled away from the underwater-beauty.

"What are you, an elementary school kid?" Uchiha-san glared at me with down-right annoyance. "I only came here because you asked me to, so don't waste my time." He pulled me along with him by the back of my jacket, my feet dragging along the smooth surface of the floor.

"Setsuna-chan, hurry up!" cried Haku-san. He waved for Uchiha-san to move faster.

"I'm coming, I'm coming, yeesh!" By the time, we reached the elevator doors, they started to close. "Ah!" Uchiha-san reached out to grab hold of the doors, but another person had already beaten him to it, causing them to slide back in with ease. He moved aside to allow us entry first.

"Go ahead," he said smoothly, his voice like silk. He was at least six feet, with an average muscular build and a thin frame. His dark-red hair was messy, as if he had just woken up, the red locks lightly hanging over his concealed eyes behind a pair of expensive-looking sunglasses. He wore a stylish black jacket over a white v-neck shirt and loose-fitting jeans. I could see that his fingers were long and slender as he gestured for us to step in. My first guess was that he played the piano, but then again it was something that just came to thought.

"Th-Thank you," I said as politely as possible. He didn't seem to care and instead stared off somewhere else. When everyone was finally settled in, I reached to press the button that would take us up to the eleventh floor. "Ah…Um, excuse me, which f-floor are you going to?"

"The same one as you," he answered with a hint of irritation. It was hard to tell what he was thinking with the sunglasses on him. Reading his expression was difficult since all I could see were his thin lips pressed tightly together.

For some reason, I had found myself blushing at the sound of his voice. It wasn't deep, but it wasn't high and girly either. It was…strangely comforting in a way, as if just hearing it would put my heart at ease, although I wasn't sure why seeing as how he probably didn't like me. "I-I see…"

Moving up on the elevator only tickled my stomach. It was hard to keep myself from giggling. I felt childish though, to be the only one affected when everyone else seemed perfectly fine. Once we reached our destined floor, we stepped out into a long hallway with doors on every side, a vending machine here and there, and a few chairs to sit on propped up against the walls. I was beginning to feel a bit claustrophobic, but quickly fumbled through the pockets of my jacket for the paper I had written everything down on.

"What room is it Hinata-chan?" Haku-san asked, looking over my shoulder." I struggled to read my messy handwriting.

"Uh…I think its room 218." Looking up, I could see that the red-haired stranger was no longer with us. "Eh? Where'd he go?"

"You mean that guy with the red hair?" asked Uchiha-san. I nodded. He shrugged his shoulders. "Beats me."

"He's not important right now, Hinata. What we need to worry about is finding the room your sister's in," said Sakura. A small feeling of disappointment made its way into my chest.

"You're right, I-I'm sorry."

With me in the lead, the three of them followed after me, each of us eying the number signs above the doors for the correct one. It was only a few seconds later when I spotted it. I came to an immediate stop, causing Haku-san and Sakura to crash into me. Uchiha-san only stood there and sighed which seemed to be directed at my stupidity. "Here it is," I pointed. Reaching for the knob, I gently pushed open the door and stepped inside to be greeted by a very large room that looked like a studio. Lights hung below the ceilings on metal railings. There were cords and wires everywhere across the floor, along with huge cameras and all types of settings located in different parts of the room. I could only gaze in wonder at the professional workplace.

"This place is huge!" Sakura had blurted aloud. We were all probably thinking the same thing since none of us expected it to look so different on the inside compared to the outside building.

"Well, they do say looks can be deceiving," Haku-san added to Sakura's earlier comment. "But the real question is where would your sister be at?"

There was the sound of running footsteps, coming closer with each passing second. I looked in the direction to see Hanabi running towards me, her large eyes glistening with tears. "Nee-chaaaaaan!" she cried, throwing her arms around me. "You HAVE to help me, please!" She held onto me even tighter, ready to crush my spine.

"C-Calm down Hanabi!" I pried her off of me with great effort before she finally let go. While I gasped for air, Sakura stepped forward, her arms crossed.

"You'd better have a good reason for calling us out here," she growled.

There was panic in my younger sister's eyes, that much was clear. It was as if-she was afraid of something. She looked around nervously before turning back to me. "I'm sorry nee-chan, but please, I really need your help." The tone of her voice had been so serious; she made it sound as though her life were on the line. Again, it was very hard for me to say no.

"What do you need help with?" I asked. Her face immediately lit up at this when she realized that I had agreed. Before she could say anything though, a voice boomed out to her from behind.

"KAI, GET OVER HERE!" Her eyes widened in horror as she spun around to face the man. Much to my surprise, he was blonde with green eyes and was strikingly beautiful. His looks rivaled Uchiha-san and Haku-san. Stomping over, he roughly grabbed her by the waist, dragging her along with him.

"NO, NO! YOU CAN'T MAKE ME! I DON'T WANT TO WORK WITH THAT GUY!"

"DON'T BE STUPID YOU DAMN BRAT! YOU SHOULD BE GRATEFUL THAT HE'S EVEN AGREED TO WORK WITH THE LIKES OF YOU AT ALL!!!"

"WAAAAH! I DON'T CARE! HE'S TOO SCARY! NEE-CHAN!" She reached her arms out to me. I quickly jogged to his side to distract him from going any further. He noticed my sudden intrusion and looked impatient.

"What, you're this idiot's older sibling? Sorry to say this, but she's already signed a contract with me, so during work hours, she belongs ONLY to me." His emerald-green eyes left no room for argument. "Understood?" He was ready to turn away before the words could leave my mouth.

"W-Wait!" Unconsciously, I had grabbed onto the sleeve of his shirt, causing him to stumble backwards. He glared at me with the eyes of a demon.

"You-!" He raised his hand to hit me, but held it in midair, looking me over. The expression on his face suddenly changed to curiosity, as if trying to figure something out. After a few long minutes, he finally said something. "What..._are_ you?" My heart tore at the sudden remark.

"I-I didn't think I was _that _ugly," I responded, ready to cry.

"Hey, my friend is a _girl_, asshole!" Sakura shouted to my defense. She raised her middle finger at him and stuck her tongue out. He held his hands up and shook his head furiously.

"No, no, no! Th-That's not what I meant! I just-!" He circled me this time, his eyes trained intensely on my whole body. "...no matter how much I look at you, it's really hard to tell whether or not you're a boy or a girl," he said thoughtfully. "It's almost like you're...androgynous." He leaned in closer to stare at my face, his foreign beauty blinding to my eyes. "You're very beautiful," he said with a hint of appraisal in his voice. My blush reacted instantly to the flattering comment, forgetting his rudeness from earlier. "Almost as beautiful as..." he froze on the spot, his mouth wide open as if a sudden realization dawned on him. It was too quick to see, but he snapped his fingers, immediately gathering the presence of three women around him. "Yoshino, I want you to take care of her contact lenses and make-up. Midori, do her hair so that it matches. And Asuka, take her measurements and tweak the design of the dress a bit that was supposed to be used for today's photo-shoot." He clapped his hands twice. "Don't make me repeat myself or you're fired. Hurry up and get everything ready!" The three of them immediately rushed off to different sides of the huge room, their footsteps echoing on the hard floor.

Hanabi walked up to the blonde-haired man, tugging at his shirt. "Wait a minute, so I don't have to...I don't have to do the shoot with him?" she asked, her eyes hopeful.

He nodded. "Yup, but in return-" he wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me to him, our bodies much too close for comfort. "-your sister will replace you," he added with a smile, revealing a set of perfect white teeth. "Do I have your consent?" Haku-san marched over angrily to us and ripped his arm away from my waist.

"Of course!" she exclaimed. The relief in her tone was very suspicious.

"H-Hanabi, what's this all about?" I asked, afraid to hear the answer. She put her hands together, an apologetic look on her face.

"I'm really sorry nee-chan! But I can't do it; I can't work with _that_ guy!-But I also don't want to quit my job!"

"H-Huh? But-I don't understand-"

"In other words," the blonde-haired man interrupted. "You'll be starring in a PV with one of Japan's top models."

"P-P-P-PV?!?!?!" (**PV**-'Promotional Video') The words were practically foreign to my lips. I was anything but an actor, and starring as the lead in a few school plays hardly developed the ability within me. "B-But I can't a-act!"

"You're not really acting though," Hanabi countered. "It'll mostly be facial expressions, body movement, and gestures." The thought seemed impossible for someone like me to do. "Don't worry, the director knows what he's doing," she added, trying to reassure me. "Right, Kyousuke-san?" Well, at least I knew his name now. What I didn't understand was how his first name and looks connected with each other.

"But H-Hanabi, I really don't think I can-"

"Please!" she begged once more. "All you have to do is take a few pictures and do a video shoot!" She made it sound like it was a good thing. "It's not much-really!" This was one of my main problems. There were times when I became a complete pushover. I nibbled on my bottom lip, unsure of whether or not I should give in so easily.

"If you're worried about messing up, then don't be," said Kyousuke-san. "He's actually very good when it comes to leading others, but I don't really understand why your idiot of a sister is so afraid of him. Girls would normally kill just to even touch him."

"I just don't like the guy! There's something really weird about him..." she mumbled, keeping her voice low.

"So, who's the model?" asked Uchiha-san.

"Is he as famous as you say he is?" asked Haku-san.

"If you mean based on popularity...then I'd have to say worldwide."

"He's THAT famous?" Sakura exclaimed.

"Not to mention that he's a _real_ lady-killer. The poor guy doesn't even know it himself," he sighed, shaking his head sadly.

"You wouldn't happen to be talking about me, would you?"

We all turned to the voice to see a familiar figure standing behind Kyousuke-san. The director didn't seemed surprised at all by his sudden appearance and merely took out a pack of cigarettes, lighting one up. "Oh, speaking of the person," he took a quick drag and blew an air of smoke to the side. "Here he is, one of our company's top models."

The stranger from earlier stepped forward to introduce himself. "I'm Sabaku Gaara." He removed his sunglasses only to reveal a beautiful pair of pale sea-green eyes. His stare towards me remained blank, and yet, I couldn't help but find him inhumanely handsome. He was like a picture-perfect painting that had just stepped out of its own frame. I must've looked like an idiot because I could feel my mouth hanging open. Sakura closed it for me as I glanced up at him warily. For him to be so beautiful and intimidating, it was a new feeling all together. "Nice to meet you...?" He was pressing me for my name.

"I-It's Hinata! H-Hyuga Hinata!" I squeaked.

Handing his cigarette to Hanabi, Kyousuke-san clapped his hands once more to get our attention. "Now that introduction's are over, let's get started you two, shall we?"

* * *

**A/N: Is anyone happy to see Gaara here? From earlier reviews, I'm trying to fill out everyone's requests and ideas for the story, but if you didn't see what you wanted to see, please don't take it too personal. When I say everyone, I don't really mean 'everyone.' It's basically a figure of speech. Well, I don't have much else to say other than for you to kindly review this story and tell me what you think about each chapter when I update. It's not much really when you think about it.**

**Special thanks to: _HikariLight_ for her incredibly long and flattering reviews, but I also want to thank everyone else too. If you have any ideas, please let me know!**

**Oh, and one more thing. For future reference, I'd like it if everyone told me what their favorite chapter was. Pretty please? LOL.**


	19. Work is Work

**A/N: Hey everyone! Sorry for the REALLY late update. I apologize, but sadly, my internet at home has been cut off for the last three months. So, yeah, that's just to answer your question of why I haven't updated in so long.**

**OMFG! I got 55 reviews just from not updating for three months! Lol, maybe I should do it more often. Jk.**

**Anyways, on with my main point. This chapter will leave some things unclear, but you'll read about it in the next chapter, if I ever update that is. Lol, another joke. Well anyways, enjoy reading! But it's shorter this time. I'm doing this from school right now so please don't complain.**

* * *

**Chapter 19: Work is Work**

_**Sakura's POV:**_

I watched as Hinata let herself get pulled away to god-knows-where by the three women the director had called out. She looked nervous and scared, as if they were going to eat her-not that I could blame them for wanting to in the first place.

Guarded, my eyes strayed over to the Uchiha who sat in his chair, slumped forward with a bored look on his made-up feminine face. His legs were set apart, _very_ un-lady-like, his mouth, set into a frown.

If it weren't for the drama that had happened earlier, I might've willingly went up to him and asked what was wrong.

A pair of thin arms wrapped themselves around my neck. I jumped in surprise, only to see that it was Haku who stood behind me.

"What's wrong Sakura-chan?" he asked, his concern expressed with sincerity. "Something bothering you?"

I placed a hand over his arm, the contact of our skin against each other warm.

It was strange really, for me to be so comfortable with a boy touching me so casually. But that was the thing about Haku, he didn't look like a boy, and he certainly didn't act like one too much either. That was something I couldn't fault him for though since he and the Uchiha were undercover or whatever.

"I'm fine," I answered him, a bit surprised at how tired I sounded.

"You're not still upset about the bathroom incident, are you?" the tone in his voice was kind, but also defensive. "I mean, Sasuke was just worried about you guys. And it's not like he knew that the both of you-"he gulped for an air of breath as if he'd just been underwater-"were taking a bath together." His face suddenly flushed bright-red.

I had found myself mirroring his reaction and turned away before he could see me.

"I-I know that." My voice came out more shaky than I'd expected.

"Then why are you angry? I don't think he'll admit it, but I think he's a little upset at the way you're ignoring him."

"I'm not angry."

"Then why ignore him?"

I fisted my skirt tightly in my hands. The creases would have to wait later to be ironed out.

"I already know that he's not the perverted type. If he were, Hinata would've already lost her innocence by now, but I just-"

Something seemed to snap in Haku the minute I said this. He smiled at me a little too sweetly and held up one finger.

"Can you excuse me for a minute? I have something important to discuss with _Setsuna_-chan." He put an emphasis on the other boy's fake name. I didn't want to ask why, and I didn't want to know why, because he looked beyond scary at the moment.

"Uh s-sure."

He zoomed over to the Uchiha and started strangling him while shouting incoherent questions in his face.

_So much for talking_…

* * *

_**Hinata's POV:**_

Yoshino-san seated me down in a chair, a smile on her pretty face. She was tall and statuesque with long dark hair pulled back into an elegant braid.

"You're quite the beauty," she remarked, leaning down to inspect me. "You have flawless and smooth skin too, just how _do_ you do it?"

"I-I regularly wash my face?"

"Ah, so your beauty is natural," she said, as if it were fascinating.

"Oh, th-thank you." I bowed my head to hide the oncoming blush, but she must've already seen it and laughed. It was embarrassing to have an older and beautiful woman call me pretty.

"Aw, you're adorable!" she gushed, holding me lovingly in her arms. "I'd _love _to have a little sister like you."

Midori-san came from behind her and shoved Yoshino-san out of the way. The two women glared at each other before Midori-san turned back around to face me.

"You're Hanabi's older sister, aren't you?" she asked. Midori-san was slimmer and less endowed, but she was still just as pretty.

I nodded my head.

"And I thought Hanabi was pretty," she said thoughtfully. "You're much prettier" and then she quickly added "feminine-wise." Moving behind me, she gently slid her long fingers into my hair, combing through the short locks. "Well, as you know, I'm in charge of your hair. So, I'd like to find something that will look natural on you"

"Will I be wearing a wig?"

She laughed and waved her hand dismissively. "Of course not, dear, you'll be wearing extensions."

"O-Oh, okay then." I much preferred that over a wig anyways.

"Midori-wait. Before you do anything, I have to start on her make-up first," said Yoshino-san. She snatched a tube of lipstick off of the table beside me and removed the cap. "What do you think of this color?" She held it out to show the both of us.

Midori-san simply shrugged. "I'm not the make-up artist, Yoshino, _you _are."

"I know, I know, but-her skin color would probably look good with just about any kind of shade. I really can't decide," the other woman grumbled.

"Well just remember this; it's supposed to look _natural_. Kyousuke-san's orders unless you want to get killed."

"Oh, you're right!" Yoshino-san turned to me and grabbed me by the chin, and used her other hand to apply a deep-red lipstick color to my lips.

Midori-san studied me, squinting to better focus her eyesight. "Hmm, it looks good, but she looks like a doll, which isn't the theme for the photo-shoot and PV."

"Ahhh, I see what you mean," Yoshino-san nodded. Instead of my face, her attention was now directed towards me. "Oh no, I forgot-you need to have your measurements taken first before the both of us start anything."

"This is where I come in, isn't it?" Asuka-san bounced from behind me with a roll of yellow measuring-tape in her hands. She looked the youngest out of the three, petite and cute, her hair a light-brown, and cut stylishly-short. "Hey there Hinata-chan, ready to get measured?"

"O-Okay."

She suddenly grinned from ear to ear, close to resembling the Cheshire cat from _Alice in Wonderland._ "Well then, we'll get started as soon as you take off your clothes."

* * *

_**Sasuke's POV:**_

I was literally pissed.

Pissed because my forehead was still hurting, pissed because Haruno was still mad at me, even though I didn't peek on purpose, and pissed because the damn transvestite was literally giving me hell right now.

"Setsuna-_chan_, you didn't answer my question," he said through gritted teeth, holding me up by the front of my shirt.

"What the _hell_ are you talking about moron?" I raised a brow quizzically at him.

"Did," he paused to glare at me even more. "-you do _anything_ to Hinata-chan?"

"Huh? Do what?"

From there on, he shook me until I lost consciousness.

* * *

_**Hinata's POV: **_

When I looked at myself in the mirror, I could've sworn I was seeing an illusion.

Yoshino and Midori-san stood proudly with their heads held high. Asuka-san bounced over to me, resembling the bunny she did, and cupped my face between her hands, staring in wonderment.

"Ooooohhh, she's so pretty!" she exclaimed, clapping her hands together joyously.

"Of course," Yoshino-san smirked. "I did her make-up after all _and_ picked out her contacts."

"But _I _did her hair," Midori-san shot back with a glare.

"I did the dress!" Asuka-san giggled.

The two girls began to quarrel with one another while I tried my best to keep my mouth from falling off.

"Is this…Is this really me?" I asked, too astonished to believe it.

Asuka-san smiled and nodded. "You're a beautiful girl Hinata-chan. You just need to flaunt it more if you want it to show."

I blushed under her curious gaze. "Um…th-thank you very much," I bowed.

She laughed and slapped me playfully on the back. "Aw, you don't have to thank me, but if you want to, do you think you can sign this? My daughter's a fan of yours."

"F-Fan?" I gaped in horror at the secretly taken photograph she held of me during my middle school days. There I stood dressed as a samurai with my sword (fake) unsheathed, with a hair-extension that was a long ponytail, protecting the princess in a brightly-colored kimono behind me. Back in 8th grade, we had done a play depicting the feudal times, and as always, I was cast as the male lead, much to my sadness.

My finger shook uncontrollably as I pointed at it. "H-How did you get _this_?"

Her smiling made her look even more like a child, including the fact that she was probably at least 4 feet 5 inches. "Didn't you know?" she asked. "You're quite the ladies _man_ online. They have photos of you everywhere!"

I almost stumbled after hearing those words. Exactly who was it taking the so-called pictures of me? And didn't they have anything else better to do?

Groaning, I held onto my stomach, suddenly feeling nauseous. Speaking of pictures, I would be taking them with one of Japan's top-male models _and _shooting a PV. Sabaku-san was obviously a professional, and I, an amateur, was suddenly chosen to take my sister's place. Could this day get anymore nerve-wrecking?

"Okay, get ready for the photo-shoot, Hinata-chan," Yoshino-san called to me from the doorway.

I tried stepping forward, my entire body stiff.

Picking me up by the waist, Midori-san carried me out the door and into the studio.

* * *

There was no way to describe how embarrassed I was the minute everyone stared at me.

Suddenly without warning, handsome men surrounded me like a swarm of bees, something I never believed would _ever _happen.

"You're cute!"

"Can I have your number?"

"What's your name?"

"How old are you?"

They began fighting and shouting curses at each other.

As much as I wanted to stop them, Sakura had grabbed me by the shoulders and stared over me wide-eyed.

"H…Hinata?" she asked, sounding astonished. "Is that you?"

Blushing, I nodded my head. "U-Um…do I…look weird?"

"OF COURSE NOT!" she cried together in unison with Haku-san, who suddenly appeared from behind her. He looked over me as well, his white cheeks slowly turning red.

"H-Hinata-chan…you look…"

Before he could finish his sentence, a folded chair came flying at him. He ducked just in time, his arms covering his head. "What the-!"

The three of us turned around to see an all-out brawl between the male models, their once handsome faces horribly bruised, and some bleeding.

"_I _asked her first!"

"No, _I_ did!"

"She prefers _me_!"

"_I'm _taking her out!"

"No, _I _am!"

The fist-fighting continued, men everywhere with spilt blood. I was confused. Should I have been happy or scared?

Running up to them, I decided to try and put a stop to their violence. "P-Please stop fighting!" They turned the second they heard me and came stampeding forward, stopping me dead in my tracks. There was an a hundred-percent chance that I would be crushed and rushed to the hospital. Closing my eyes, I waited. I would have rather be in a coma than shoot a music video that would be aired live to all of Japan.

Strangely, it went quiet. I still waited though, hoping they would do immense damage.

"Open your eyes," whispered a voice sweeter than the forbidden nectar. What I felt was that a pair of arms now held me safely, the touch warm against my own skin. My heart went into overdrive mode, the butterflies in my stomach rising. Slowly, I complied with his gentle command, hoping I wouldn't pass out.

Sabaku-san stood there, looking even more beautiful than ever in an ethereal way.

"Sa…Sabaku-san?" my voice came out mousy.

His once dark-red hair was now a mess of tousled, sparkling silver. Pale sea-green eyes were now a light-golden color, framed by thick and dark lashes. His skin was whiter than the snow almost, his lips an alluring shade of pink. He wore a white shirt with two of the buttons undone, revealing his smooth collarbone and a bit of his chest. Fitting dark-slacks wrapped themselves snugly around his long legs, the legs of a model.

All eyes fell on him, completely stunned by the transformation. A few of the men even blushed, much to my delight.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his tone sincere.

I nodded my head dumbly and stared at him open-mouthed. He released me, the smallest hint of a smile on his handsome face.

"You look beautiful," he said in that voice of his that made my heart react wildly for some strange reason.

I blushed a deep red and moved my gaze to the floor.

"Th-Thank you…"


	20. Becoming an Angel

**Chapter 20: Becoming an Angel **

My hands shook as I clutched tightly onto the front of my flowing white dress, complete with spaghetti-thin straps, ribbons, and matching heels.

Shyly, I glanced over in Sabaku-san's direction. I couldn't help but think about how handsome he looked. He certainly suited the role of a demon prince. I also took notice of the workers on set; they seemed to be awestruck by him as well.

_Who wouldn't though?_ I thought to myself. _He's amazing._

The first half consisted of Sabaku-san's photos. The second half consisted entirely of me, and then the third would feature us together, or so I was told by Kyousuke-san. That's what had me so nervous however.

As I stood on the side, watching Sabaku-san flow from one pose to the next, my eyes strayed over to Sakura. She caught my stare and happily waved in my direction, signaling me a thumbs up. Haku-san came up from behind her, waving his arms around wildly to get my attention, although I'm not sure what for since he was already in my line of sight.

Giggling to myself, I smiled at the both of them, returning their waves with less enthusiasm. Their encouragement hadn't been enough to wash away the nervousness that rolled waves in my stomach.

I decided to scan the rest of the room for the others. Hanabi sat on a chair in the far right-hand corner, dead asleep with her head thrown back. And then there was Sai-san who was moving around lighting equipment and-

I stopped myself short.

My eyes went straight to the one person I'd never expected to see in the studio. He wore a dark-blue bandana on his head, locks of dark hair falling over his eyes. He wore leg-fitting jeans and a black t-shirt that hung slightly loose off his shoulders with white stripes.

_Sai-san?_

Without even thinking, I automatically found myself walking towards him. The sound of my heels clicking against the concrete floor seemed somewhat distant to me as I pushed my way through a crowd of men, mainly models, whom called for me to come back and give them my number. I ignored them however and ran up to Sai-san, unable to suppress the forming smile on my face.

"Sai-san!" I called. He looked around, wondering who'd called out his name, when finally; he spotted me, his eyes taking on a look of surprise.

I stood before him, waiting for him greet me, but all he did was stare.

"It's been awhile, hasn't it?" I smiled. "I never thought I'd see you here though. It's good to see you again."

He pointed at himself, confusion evidently written all over his face. "Um...are you talking to _me_?"

"Huh? But Sai-san, don't you remember-?" His confusion suddenly became clear to me in that moment.

Laughing, but mostly at myself, I removed the contacts from my eyes. It was in that instant that he recognized me.

"Hina-chan?" he cried in absolute shock. "What are you-?"

Quickly, I explained to him how everything came to be, which was mostly my sister's fault that I'd gotten in this mess in the first place.

"Oh, so you're modeling in place of your sister?" he asked, curiousity clear in his voice. I nodded. "Is she here with you right now?" I pointed in the direction of my sleeping sister, where Kyousuke-san stood, trying to slap her awake. Sai-san continued to stare at her, a thoughtful look on his face.

I peered up at him. "I-Is something wrong?"

In an instant, all previous thoughts seemed to vanish from his mind as he turned back to look at me.

"Hm? It's nothing," he smiled. "I was just thinking about how much the two of you look alike." Taking my hand in his, Sai-san gazed at me. "Forgive me for saying this about your sister," he raised the back of my hand to his lips "but you're _much_ prettier."

Those words alone were enough to make me blush like crazy.

Before I could lose anymore of my blood, if that was even possible, Kyousuke-san called for me to get onto the set.

"I-I'm coming!" I quickly bowed to Sai-san. "I'm sorry, I have to-"

"It's fine, it is your job for now, isn't it? How about we continue our chat later on? After work perhaps?"

"O-Of course!"

He winked at me. "Then I'll meet you outside the building when you're done. Text me, okay?"

I nodded, slipping in my blue contact lenses.

* * *

"WRONG!!"

I winced at Kyousuke-san's loud voice through the megaphone he held. He stood with his arms crossed, impatience practically radiating off of him. "Have you no grace? Your posture and expressions are stiff and awkward! Relax yourself at least!"

It was easier said than done, especially with him shouting at me all the time.

_This is even harder than I thought it would be..._

With a sigh, I once again searched the room. Everyone as far as I could tell was accounted for.

_But_..._I can't help but feel that someone is missing_...

"Hinata-chan!" I immediately turned towards the direction of Haku-san's voice. He caught my stare and grinned. "Do your best!" he waved.

I returned the smile. That was one of the things that I liked about Haku-san, he was so sweet, even during a crucial moment such as this one.

"Oh." I suddenly remembered the missing person I hadn't seen in a while.

"Uchiha-san..." _Where are you?_

"Pay attention to the camera! This is no time for you to be daydreaming!" Kyousuke-san shouted.

"H-Hai!"

I turned back to the camera and wrapped my arms around myself, just like he'd told me to, and tilted my head to the side.

"STIFF!"

I jumped at the sound of his voice. "I-I'm sorry!" I apologized, bowing my head to him several times. My nerves were getting the best of me. He sighed and shook his head.

"Look, I know you're new at this and all, but I only asked you to do this for two reasons." He jabbed a thumb in the direction of a sleeping Hanabi. "That _thing_, and because of the way you look." He blushed. "You fit the image of an angel almost _too _well, so much that I thought it was too good to be true." He scractched the back of his head and glanced to the side. "And if you're going to apologize, at least do so to the crew members as well. They're the ones taking most of the time out of their schedules to be here today."

I nodded. "Yes..."

Kyousuke-san clapped his hands twice. "All right, everyone, break time! We'll meet each other back here in twenty, got that?"

* * *

"Haaaa..." I hung my head in dispair.

"What's with the heavy sigh?"

I looked up, startled to see Sabaku-san standing there, a cup of canned coffee in each hand. He offered me one. "Want it?"

I stared at the can, unsure of whether or not I should take it. I didn't even like coffee in the first place, but refusing after he'd gone out of his way to get me one would've been considered rude. I accepted it with a quiet thanks.

"Mind if I sit down?" he asked. I shook my head. He took the empty seat next to me.

At the moment, I was currently sitting out in the hall with one of Japan's top models. We sat shoulder-to-shoulder, just barely though, yet it was enough to make me want to scoot away. With the exception of a few, I wasn't very good when it came to dealing with boys. My shyness especially became worse if the boy was a beauty. I lowered my eyes to the floor, lightly tapping the sides of the cold coffee can with my fingers. The silence that'd gone on for about three minutes so far was enough to make me nervous. Blushing, I bulit up the courage to start a conversation.

"S-So, how l-long have you been modeling, Sabaku-san?"

He took a sip from his can, a thoughtful look on his usually indifferent-looking face. "About six years I suppose," he muttered, as if he wasn't exactly sure and still thinking about it. "I started during my first year of junior high."

"Wow, r-really?"

He nodded. "It was annoying though. Once I got into the modeling business, the girls that usually surrounded me only got worse. My older sister had to hire bodyguards to watch over me."

I glanced around the empty halls, not sure if it was just the two of us. "B-Bodyguards?"

"It's just the two of us right now," he replied, as if reading my thoughts. I sighed in relief.

He again went quiet, as though something had caught his interest. I followed his line of vision to see that he'd been staring down at the can of coffee I'd been holding.

"Um...yes?"

His eyes moved up to meet my own. "Aren't you going to drink that?"

I looked at the coffee can, pretending that I'd forgotted it'd been there. "Oh, this!" I laughed, but it sounded half-hearted, to my ears at least. "O-Of course I will." Popping it open, I slowly raised the can to my lips, bracing myself for the bitter taste that was about to hit my tongue. I took a long sip, glancing at him from the corner of my eyes. He was still looking, expressionless as usual.

_Ew, it's so gross_...

I smiled at him. "Thank you again for the coffee, Sabaku-san."

He just stared at me. "Hn, no problem." Propping himself up back to his normal position, he then said something I hadn't expected.

"I can help you, if you'd like that is."

* * *

"Okay everyone, are you all ready?" Kyousuke-san asked. He took a cigarette from the pocket of his shirt and lit it.

"Haiiii," everyone echoed.

"All right Hinata, now it's up to you. Get into position." Kyousuke-san tapped his wristwatch. "We'll need to start the next set of photos with you and Gaara in a few minutes."

Gulping, I nodded my head.

Taking a deep breath, my thoughts instantly recalled the advice Sabaku-san had given me.

_"First off, relax yourself_._ When you're taking a picture, it has to be natural. None of that fake crap."_

Standing there in front of the camera, I made sure to relax myself and got into the same position I'd done earlier. I was afraid that Kyousuke-san would say something, but he seemed to sense the calmness I exuded and was quiet.

_"Next, you have to think about the role you're playing, almost like acting."_

_I'm playing the role of an angel._

_"Convey the role you're playing with your own feelings."_

_An angel in love with the devil._

_"Use expressions to express the qualities of your role."_

_But I'm not supposed to be in love with the devil._

_"Think about what it is that your role symbolizes."_

_Because it's forbidden._

Opening my eyes, I did all I could to express the angel I was playing. The weight that I hadn't noticed before had suddenly been lifted from my shoulders. It felt wonderful.

* * *

Kyousuke-san immediately pulled me into an embrace with tears in his eyes once the shoot was done.

"That was amazing!" he cried. "_You're_ amazing!" I blushed red at the praise as well as the close contact. However, Haku-san unexpectedly appeared before us and pried Kyousuke-san off of me.

He smiled. "You were great, Hinata-chan. You really did look like an angel."

Sakura appeared behind me and embraced me from behind. "I almost fell in love with you again!" she gushed, holding onto me. "You were really beautiful, Hinata, like a real angel."

I only continued to blush even more. Everyone was being too nice.

_I couldn't have done **that** good, could I?_

I glanced in Sabaku-san's direction. He stood leaning with his back against the wall on my right, his arms crossed. He caught my stare and nodded.

_Thank you so much!_ I honestly wanted to run foward and hug him, but that might've been bolder in real life than it had been in my imagination. It was what Sakura had said next that'd made me realize I'd forgotten something.

"Where's the Uchiha?" she asked, scanning the room for him.

"Now that I think about it, I haven't seen 'her' either, ever since they took Hinata-chan to get her make-up done that is," Haku-san muttered thoughtfully. "I wonder where she went."

Before I could inject my thoughts on the missing Uchiha as well, Kyousuke-san wrapped an arm around my shoulders, leading me to the new set that'd been set up where Sabaku-san now stood, the make-up artists surrounding him for a few more touch-ups.

"Okay, now all that's left are the set of photos featuring you and Gaara. I need you to do your best this time and act like you're in love with him, got it?" With an unexpected force, he shoved me onto the set with Sabaku-san, who in turn caught me, his arms around my waist.

"Ah-!"

"You okay?"

I'd found myself staring up into his liquid-golden eyes (even if they were fake) and blushed. It was just as I'd thought. He was even more beautiful up-close.

And just for a moment, I forgot about Uchiha-san.

* * *

**A/N: Hello, everyone! This is Khmershinobi! About the whole updating thing, yeah, it has been a LONG time. A lot longer than I expected though. Sorry for everything. I don't know, I was just so damn busy with school that I didn't set aside enough time for this story. But it's all good. I'm going to the eleventh grade after all.**

**Oh yeah, and about Gaara, well, I'm pretty sure it's obvious what his relationship with Hinata will be. And Sai, uh, don't ask. You'll have to wait for his side of the story, if I ever write it that is. As for where Sasuke went, you'll find out in the next chapter.**

**Just to be honest, this chapter was kind of a total rip off of _SkipBeat_. Anyone read it? It's a great manga if you haven't, I'd totally recommend it. I already have the latest volume.**

**Well, again, I would like to give my thanks to everyone for reading this story and putting up with old, incompetent me.**


	21. Caught

**Chapter 21: Caught**

_**Sasuke's POV:**_

"WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU TOUCHING ME YOU ASSHOLE?!"

I socked him one, straight in the face, and kneed him in the crotch area. He fell to the floor with a groan, his face blue.

"Hmph, that'll teach you to mess with me, damn pervert..." I muttered. I entered the girls bathroom to wash my hands. Touching middle-aged men wasn't exactly a hobby of mine, nor would it ever become one.

Turning off the water, I looked over myself in the mirror. My hair was slightly disheveled and my uniform had obvious handprints on them.

"If I _ever_ see that old man again, I'm definitely gonna do more than just kill him," I grumbled. _What kind of man suddenly gropes someone they see walking down the halls? Oh, that's right, a pervert._

Just as I was about to remove the wig from my head, since combing it out that way made it easier to fix, two girls suddenly burst through the bathroom door, one of them with oddly bright pink hair and the other a brunette.

"There you are!" The transvestite cried. "We were looking everywhere for you!"

Haruno glared at me with her arms crossed. "You'd have to be an idiot to get lost in this section of the building. The room is just down the hall and to the right."

I glared at her in return. "I didn't get lost. I was just-" I stopped myself short "...busy."

"Busy doing what?" she asked.

I turned away from her and continued on with combing out the tangles in my wig. "That's none of your business."

It was unexpected, but the slap she'd given me was hard, my left cheek stinging red with pain. A low growl escaped my throat. "What the hell did you do _that_ for?"

She continued to glare at me, only this time, her eyes were filled with tears. In a broken voice, she said "You're a real jerk, y'know that?"

In a few seconds, she was out the bathroom door, the sound of her footsteps fading as she ran down the hall.

The transvestite turned to me and frowned. "You really aren't too good with women, are you?"

I adjusted my wig back on, studying my reflection in the mirror to make sure nothing was out of place. "Shut up."

He leaned against the tiled walls, crossing his arms. It was sometimes scary to see someone who looked so much like a girl act like a man.

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"What is it that you were so busy with?"

"What else? The moron called."

This got his attention. "So they're-"

"Yeah."

He closed his eyes and threw his head back, a thoughtful look on his usually idiotic, feminine face. After a few minutes, he finally stood, straightening his posture, and went back into the overly-girly mode he was usually set on.

"Oh well," he smiled. "We'll just have to deal with this later. For now, let's get back to Hinata-chan. She should be done with the photo shoot by now."

* * *

_**Sakura's POV:**_

_How dare that jerk talk to me like that? Just who the hell does he think he is?!_

Wiping my eyes free of tears, I stomped my way down the hall, scaring a few onlookers as well.

_I was just worried about him, so why'd he have to-?_

I stopped short, just before the door. Inside was everyone. Hinata, her sister, the director, and the rest of the workers. Hinata was inside, trying her best for something that her sister didn't want to do. And here I was, acting like a stupid lovesick fool.

"...why did he have to be so mean?"

I sniffled, wiping at my face with the sleeves of my shirt.

* * *

**_Gaara's POV:_**

_I heard from Kyousuke-san that it was her first time modeling, but..._

She leaned against me, gracefully wrapping her arms around my neck with her hands, her fingers just barely grazing the back of my head while she gently fisted my hair.

..._this girl's a natural. _

We shifted our positions. She now stood behind me, her arms wrapped around my torso this time. Moving to the side, I lifted the transparent, white veil that had been draped around her bare shoulders, an added accessory by Kyousuke-san himself. She raised her arms slowly, lifting her hair along with them. The movement was done so smoothly and sexily that I couldn't help but notice the men watching us gawk right at her.

"Whoa, she's seriously hot."

"How old is she?"

"Who cares? A thing like age isn't gonna stop me from asking her out."

Silently, I felt somewhat like the winner. At this very moment, several of the men were watching her, and envious of me as well I'm sure. I couldn't exactly blame them though. The expressions she displayed were enough to make any man want to take her. She had a sort of 'come hither' look about her, yet kept it distant.

I fought back the smirk that threatened to overtake my face. It was amusing really, for an amateur such as herself to suddenly become the center of attention after a quick makeover.

I decided to do something for fun just then, just to see what kind of reaction I could rouse out of our audience.

Switching positions to stand behind her, I placed my hands on her slim waist, slowly sliding them down to capture the hem of the dress that stopped short just above her knees and bring them back up, along with the dress. Her body tensed at the unexpected touch, but I could see that she was trying hard to not blush, nor shake and create a commotion. I admired that, her determination that is.

The men gasped, some of their faces turning bright-red, others with blood dripping down their noses.

I whispered into her ear, hoping that I would be able to help calm her down.

_"Don't worry, I won't go any higher. Just relax and follow my lead."_

The tension left her body without a second thought. She stood against me, completely relaxed.

_Hm, that was easier than I thought it would be_.

"Good job, you two, great way to improvise!" Kyousuke-san shouted approvingly. He came up to us, cigerette in mouth. "The last five photos will feature the two of you gazing at each other, as I mentioned earlier, like your in love." He turned his eyes on the Hyuga. "Can you do that?"

She flushed red, unable to answer I presumed. I patted her shoulder reassuringly.

"It's fine, Kyousuke-san." I moved my hand up the slope of her neck to hold her by the chin and have her gaze up at my face. "I'll just make her fall in love with me."

Kyousuke-san coughed, his cheeks slightly flushed red, as well as everyone else in the room. "You really have no shame, do you?"

"I don't believe you pay me to."

He frowned at me. "Well, anyways, let's just get this over with."

"Of course."

With her body pressed against mine, I held her by the waist with one arm, the other lifting up the silk-like tresses that fell down to her waist.

Before we could again change positions, she politely, if that was even possible, pushed herself away from me, rubbing at her eyes.

"What's wrong?"

"Ow...ugh, my eyes. They...they hurt."

Kyousuke-san asked what the problem was.

"Her eyes hurt," I told him. "I think it's the contact lenses."

He sighed and muttered something incoherent.

"What?"

"Just remove them," he gestured with a wave of his hand. "We have four shots left. No sense in dragging this thing on any longer..."

I peered down at her, confused that she was still rubbing her eyes. Hadn't she heard him?

"Hey, did you hear Kyousuke-san?" I asked. She nodded. "Then take out your contacts."

"I-I'm sorry," she sniffled. "I've done n-nothing but cause trouble f-for everyone t-today..."

I gently ruffled the top of her head, careful to not mess it up. "Everyone has their limits. If it hurts, it hurts. No one's blaming you for anything."

She looked up at me, her eyes watery. It was in that instant that I felt my heart betray me. The pounding quickened somewhat, and the blood almost rose to my face.

_Huh? What was that just now?_

"...take them out?"

I shook my head to clear my thoughts. "W-What?"

She continued to stare up at me, her eyes _still_ watery with tears. When was this girl going to wipe her eyes?

"C-Can I really take them out now? I-Is it okay to?"

I nodded, turning my head away so that she couldn't see my face. _What's wrong with my chest? Is this an early sign of a heart-attack?_

"Oh, now it feels a little better..." she murmured, rubbing at her eyes again.

_Hn, it feels strange_... "Here," I offered. "Use this." I held out my handkerchief. She received it, thankful as she dabbed lightly at the corners of her eyes.

After wiping away her tears, she looked up at me and smiled. It was a smile that no girl had ever given me before.

Confused, I covered my face with one hand and lowered my head, unable to look her directly in the eye, not after that smile at least.

_Damn, the pounding is even worse than before. Should I tell Kyousuke-san about this?_

"Sabaku-san?"

Although she startled me from my thoughts, I tried to not let it show on my face. She peered up at me. "Is something wrong?"

"It's nothing." The words came out stiff. She blinked, confused.

"Um, all right...we should finish this up then, yes?"

I gave a nod. "Hn."

* * *

_**Hinata's POV:**_

_BEEP_

**To: Hinata**

**Sorry, forgot that I had work today.**

**Let's hang out next time.**

**From: Sai**

_BEEP_

**To: Sai**

**Okay, next time then. 3**

**From: Hinata**

Tucking away my cell phone, I stretched my arms high above my head, letting out a breath of air as we exited the building. It felt good to be outside after spending what seemed like forever inside the studio. My body and mind felt lighter. I was free from having to do anything else. I'd already rejected the offer to continue the project. If modeling was hard for me, what made them think I wanted to be in a music video that required acting(kind of.)?

Hanabi begged me to continue, but I'd made it clear to her that her line of work wasn't in my comfort zone. In fact, it overstepped the boundaries by an incredible distance.

Haku-san and Sakura hooked their arms with mine, smiling as we walked back to my house. Uchiha-san followed behind us, but not so much that he'd attempt to keep up. As I turned my head to look back at him, I noted with interest that while walking, he kept his head down, his expression that of one in serious thought.

_What's wrong with him?_

"HINATA, YOU'RE FINALLY HOME!!" Naruto cried, running towards the door before I could even step inside. I knew he was about to hug me, so I raised my arms and waited, but the faint smell of soap and his muscular figure did not hit me all at once like it usually did.

"Huh?" I looked around the entrance hall, not able to locate Naruto's spiky blond hair and tanned skin. "Where did he go?"

Uchiha-san shrugged off his jacket and hung it on the rack. "Ask the two idiots that ran upstairs while carrying him."

He walked past me, but stopped to turn his head, his expression weary.

"You mind if I use your bath?"

I don't know what it was about Uchiha-san, but ever since today, he seemed more tired than I'd ever seen him. It was strange.

I blinked. "Uh...g-go ahead."

He muttered a thanks and climbed the stairs, his footsteps containing somewhat of a drag to them.

As I hung up my own jacket, and carefully slipped off my shoes, setting them aside. When I stood back up, Haku-san was _right_ there, and I mean _right _there as in standing really close to me when I hadn't even expected him. I nearly jumped out of my skin from the shock alone.

"Sorry, Hinata-chan, did I scare you?"

I held my hand over my chest. "More than that, you nearly gave me a heart-attack."

He laughed. Blushing, I noticed Sakura come down the stairs, wiping her hands on her skirt as if she'd just finished a deed.

"Ano, Sakura...what's Naruto doing upstairs?"

"Him?" she scoffed. "He's just...sleeping." Wrapping an arm around my shoulder, she smiled at me sweetly. "You needn't concern yourself with him, Hinata. You must be exhausted, would you like a massage?"

"E-Eh? No th-thank you."

"Oh really? If not a massage, then would you prefer a bath? We could take one...just like we did yesterday," she grinned.

My face burned from embarrassment. "A m-massage is f-fine..."

Haku-san turned red as well and headed straight for the kitchen.

"H-Haku-san?"

"Don't worry about him, he's just going to make us dinner." She cracked her knuckles. "Now, how would you like it to be done?"

* * *

The hot water engulfed me completely, causing my skin to flush a warm red as I stepped out of the bath to cool down. Drying my hair (not the wig) with a towel, I wrapped it around my waist and stared at my reflection in the full-body mirror.

Dark locks of hair dripping wet with water, dark eyes, sakura-colored lips, pale skin, and a slender figure that could've passed me off as androgynous if not for the obvious fact that I didn't have breasts.

I wanted to hit the mirror so badly, but doing that would've been stupid, especially in Hinata's home.

If it was one thing I hated, aside from my family, it was my looks.

_If I'd took after that old man, then maybe I wouldn't look like this._

With a sigh, I draped the spare towel I had over my shoulders, ready to head out to my bedroom and get dressed.

Pulling open the door, I froze on the spot, due to the person standing before me. The blood in my body went cold, and for a second, I almost went stiff.

_Damn_.

An annoying blond I'd come to know over the past few days stared, and much to my displeasure, continued to stare. His expression wasn't that of someone who was shocked, but rather curious. Scratching the side of his head, he grinned.

_Damn._

_"_I was wondering why you were pretending to be a girl, however, I didn't think you'd come out of your disguise so soon."

_Dammit all!_

* * *

**HARUNO SAKURA**

**Age: 16**

**Height: 5 feet 4 inches**

**Class and year: 2-A, 2nd year**

**Favorite Subjects: Science and Math**

**Personality: Sweet and kind to those she cares for, but also violent and temperamental**

**Likes: Studying, Hinata, and Sasuke**

**Dislikes: Men and the fact that she likes Sasuke**

**School Ranking: The Princess-type. With her grace, beauty, and mannerisms, Sakura is considered one of the most beloved "Onee-sama's" within the school. Her intelligence and confidence has won her the many hearts of her juniors and seniors.**

* * *

**Sai**

**Age: 18**

**Height: 5 feet 10 inches**

**Class and year: 3-B, 3rd year**

**Favorite Subjects: Art and Calligraphy**

**Personality: Not sure...**

**Likes: Hinata, manga and reading**

**Dislikes: ?**

**School Ranking: ?**

* * *

**UZUMAKI NARUTO**

**Age: 16**

**Height: 5 feet 11 inches**

**Class and year: 2-B, 2nd year**

**Favorite Subjects: Gym and Lunch**

**Personality: Outgoing, loud, an all-around nice guy **

**Likes: Ramen**

**Dislikes: Silence**

**School Ranking: The Knight-type. He attends an all-boys school, but despite that, there are a few boys who have crushes on him as well. Naruto excels athletically in all sports making him the number one candidate that a team must have. Muscular, but with a slender build, Naruto attracts both sexes. His naturally blond hair and tanned skin are found to be quite tempting among the Japanese.**


	22. Stop Being A Pervert

**Chapter 22: Stop Being A Pervert**

We sat face-to-face in the guest bedroom I was currently residing in. The blond stared at me, long and hard, his expression thoughtful as he scratched beneath his chin. I gulped down the lump in my throat, removing the towel from my already dried hair.

I suddenly felt nervous for some reason. Was this moron going to blab my secret to Hinata's older cousin? Aside from the fact that I could easily take him (Neji) down in battle didn't change the embarrassing fact that I wore women's clothing. The very thought of having anyone else find out was humiliating, it was worse than death itself.

Scratching his chin, the blonde's eyes went down to my legs as he finally spoke. It was the words that had left his mouth however that had me sent him flying.

"So...you do _have_ one, right?"

I hit him, straight in the jaw as I watched his head do a 360 degree spin. Clenching my fists, I cracked my knuckles, ready to land another hit on him, only harder this time.

"WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU LOOKING WHEN YOU'RE ASKING ME A STUPID QUESTION LIKE THAT YOU DAMN BASTARD?!"

"I'm sorry!" he cried, while waving a small, white flag. "But can you blame me?"

"Instead of 'blaming,' I think I'd rather _beat_ the memory out of you." I cracked my knuckles again, advancing forward. "What do you say? Sounds better, doesn't it? That way, we can put this whole thing behind us and pretend it never happened."

"Pretend?" He raised an eyebrow at me. "I wasn't even fooled from the start to begin with."

It was my turn to give him a questioning look. "What?"

He stood up, nearly towering over me. The guy had to be about six feet at the most.

"You may be prettier than the average girl or boy, but concerning gender issues, I'm no stranger when it comes to the presence of other males."

Okay, this was...getting weird. I unconsciously took a step away from him, but each step I took seemed to only invite him forward. Before I knew it, he had me backed up against the door, his arms trapping me from both sides.

"What the hell are you getting at?" I stared at him through squinted eyes. There was something about him that seemed a bit off today, almost as if he were an entirely different person. Where had the cheerful blond with the sunny and moronic disposition gone?

He smiled a sickeningly sweet smile at me, his blue eyes practically glowing. "Oh, come on, isn't it obvious?" He held me by the chin, raising my head up towards him. "The fact that you're a boy, _and _you cross-dress means it's a double bonus for me."

The chill ran through me and my body immediately froze. This had to be a joke. Of all the people, this guy had to be-?

"You're **GAY**?"

He looked offended. "I'm not gay," he frowned "I like girls too, y'know?"

"What's the difference you dumbass?!"

"Plenty," he replied. "For one thing, girls are soft and smell nice, while boys-"

"Setsuna-chan, your dinner's getting cold!" The transvestite called from behind the door. "What's taking you so long to get dressed anyway?"

And it was during that moment that I felt the entire life I'd built before me shatter into tiny bits of unrecoverable pieces.

Shoving the door open from behind me, the transvestite pushed it open, knocking me straight into the blonde's arms, who by the way caught me while he hit the floor, his body serving mine as a cushion. If it were any other person than the three who already knew my secret, this sort of scene would've looked fine, even normal in public, but as the other two came up after hearing the damn transvestite's gasp, I knew at that very moment that I couldn't, and would never be able to accept myself as a man ever again.

"U-Uchiha-san?!" Hinata gasped, her face burning a bright-red.

"Uchiha! What the-!" Haruno looked pissed, he fists clenched tightly by her sides.

"Oh my..." The transvestite gave me a questioning look, his left eye twitching.

Honestly, I wanted to die right there.

* * *

**_Hinata's POV:_**

_Uchiha-san and Naruto? Naruto and Uchiha-san? NaruSasu? SasuNaru? Which is it?_

_**Hinata's Imaginaton-WARNING: EXTREMELY DANGEROUS**_

_Sitting at his desk, Sasuke gazed out the classroom window, a sigh escaping his cherry-blossom colored lips. The sun was nearly on it's way towards setting, painting the sky a glow of autumn colors._

_The dark-haired beauty shifted upright in his seat, anxious for the arrival of his childhood friend who was currently in the Karate club._

_It was then that the door to the classroom slid open, revealing a tall and handsome blond boy with blue eyes on the other side. He stepped in, greeting Sasuke with his usual cheerful grin and a wave._

_"Sorry, did you wait long?" Naruto asked sheepishly. "The captain had me clean the dojo for the day, and I couldn't exactly talk myself out of it since he was already in a bad mood."_

_The Uchiha glared at him, which Naruto took as a yes for his first question. "Aww, c'mon, don't be mad, Sasuke. It's not like I did it on purpose, y'know."_

_Still refusing to talk to him, the Uchiha did not answer, turning his gaze back outside the window, and his back on the blond._

_Naruto crossed the room in long strides, wrapping his arms around Sasuke from behind. The Uchiha struggled to free himself from the blonde's embrace, but to no avail was able to do so. He sat there, silent, unmoving as the boy behind him pressed himself closer, his body warm._

_Leaning down, Naruto whispered into Sasuke's ear, sending shivers of delight down the beauty's spine. Naruto chuckled, lightly nibbling on Sasuke's earlobe, fully aware of the blush coloring the Uchiha's porcelain-like skin._

_"You're so cute," he whispered, his voice low and dangerously sexy. "It's at times like this that make me glad we have the classroom all to ourselves." He slid a hand underneath the Uchiha's shirt, while sliding off the gakuran jacket that fell from his shoulders. "Shall we?"_

_Sasuke fought to keep his voice under control, his breathing heightening towards short gasps of pleasure. "Naruto...no...don't-ah!"_

_"Oh, c'mon on. You know you like it when we do it in the classroom." His hands went down to Sasuke's pants, removing the belt that only got in the way during their alone time. "As I recall, the mess you made last week only proves it," he smirked._

_Sasuke blushed an even brighter shade of red. Suddenly grabbing Naruto by the front of his shirt, he shoved the blond down, hovering above him._

_"I'll _kill _you if somebody walks in on us," he threatened._

_Naruto smiled. "If it's you, then that's fine by me."_

* * *

**_Meanwhile, with the others:_**

"Hinata-chan?" Haku waved. "Earth to Hinata-chan, are you there?"

Naruto laughed, waving a hand dismissively. "I don't think now's the time to interrupt her."

"And why's that?" Haku placed his hands on his hips. He couldn't help but let out a short burst of laughter as he watched Sasuke from the corner of his eye. The Uchiha sat in the corner, his head resting against the wall. His eyes had already rolled into the back of his head, and his face was a ghostly-white. The very sight was hilarious.

Naruto put his hands behind his head and shrugged. "Well, knowing her, she's probably off in her imagination again."

Sakura glared at the blond, who only returned her hostile look with a innocent smile. "Meaning-"

"I would think so," he grinned. "After all, it's Hinata we're talking about here. She didn't start getting into that stuff until junior high."

Sakura slapped her forehead and sighed. "Honestly, and she seems so innocent. But then again, that's what makes her so cute." Naruto nodded in agreement. Haku looked back and forth between the two, clearly confused.

"What are you guys talking about?"

Sakura made a face. "Truthfully, you're better off not knowing about what goes on in that girl's mind."

"Oh, look. Her nose is bleeding," Naruto pointed out.

* * *

**A/N: Lol. Sorry for making this so short. The next chapter will be much longer, I promise.**


	23. Strawberry Addict

**Chapter 23: Strawberry Addict**

After our mini-vacation, the four of us decided it was best to head back to the academy. And once again, I parted from Hanabi and nii-san. Hanabi had bid me a tearful goodbye, while nii-san, from what I could tell, tried not to cry. And the worst part of it all was that I never got to see my father. It had already been a year since I last saw him. There were times when I worried about his health, but then again, he was a grown adult. Having his own daughter worry about him as though he were a child may have been somewhat degrading from his view.

The minute we boarded the train, Uchiha-san and Haku-san instantly fell asleep beside each other. I couldn't blame them though, they must've been worn out. I was quite tired myself. Sakura and I sat beside each other, listening to the rattling of the train that made it's way down the steel tracks. As the sun began to set, it basked us lovingly in its warm light, like that of a gentle embrace. I leaned against the window, and in turn, Sakura leaned against me.

"Sorry," she muttered. "You don't mind, do you?"

"Of course not. You're tired too, right?"

I felt her nod.

We sat in silence as I stared out the window, watching as the scenery passed by. Autumn was just beginning-winter would soon come. It was certainly the season I looked forward to the least-for many reasons.

Soft pink hair tickled my shoulder as Sakura nuzzled her head against me. I smiled. She was so quiet. It was unusual of her. "What is it?"

"I..." she began, her voice barely above a whisper "...one."

"You what?"

"I...like someone..." she mumbled.

I felt my entire face go red as she said these words. "Y-You do?"

"Yeah, but...I barely exist to that person."

From the way she was addressing her crush, I took it that she didn't want to give me a name or any other information. "Why do you say that?"

"Because...I think they already have someone they like."

"Well, how much do you like this person?"

Her laugh was bitter. "That's the thing-I'm not so sure myself either. All I know is that just being around that person makes my heart beat faster, and...there are times when it gets so out of control that...I just feel like running away."

"Sakura..."

"But, I don't want to say anything right now, you know? To be honest, I'm actually fine with the current relationship we have. Asking for any more would be too much." Her smile was heartbreakingly sad. "And besides...I have you, don't I Hinata?" she hooked her arm around mine, squeezing onto it. "We'll always be together, no matter what happens, right?"

"Of...of course we will."

She snuggled herself into me. Her clinging reminded me of that of a child. I found it quite endearing. She wasn't usually this affectionate. I leaned against her in return, tired as well.

"I love you, Hinata, but..."

Her voice trailed off from there because all that was heard left was the soft snoring of the sleeping princess beside me.

* * *

By the time we reached the academy, it was already dark. We were all exhausted after the two-hour long ride, especially Haku-san and Uchiha-san. Sakura took it upon herself to carry Haku-san to his room.

"I'll take him," she sighed. "But honestly, shouldn't it be the other way around?"

I laughed. "It's okay, isn't it? We are in an all-girls school after all."

She smiled. I felt relieved to see her normal self. "Yeah, you're right."

We parted ways, and while Sakura left with Haku-san hefted up over her shoulder, Uchiha-san leaned against me, barely able to even stand up in the first place.

"Uchiha-san, climb onto my back please." He probably wasn't aware of what he was doing, but did so anyway, as he clung onto me from behind, sleepy."

After finding a comfortable position to carry him in, I started our walk towards the northern dorms. Sakura and Haku-san resided on the eastern side. I found the night to be somewhat revitalizing. I enjoyed the chills that passed through my body, a soft breeze on a quiet night. With Uchiha-san asleep, I heard him mumble something, but couldn't quite hear what he'd said. I had only caught a fragment of it.

"...stupid Itachi..." he mumbled.

"Weasel?" I murmured to myself.

Once we reached the dorms, I took out my set of keys, unlocking the entrance before stepping inside. I removed my shoes, as well as Uchiha-san's for him. Climbing the stairs to the second floor hadn't proved as difficult as I'd thought it would be. The same went for Uchiha-san, since he was lighter than I expected, well, for a boy that is.

Pushing open the door to our room, I walked in to set Uchiha-san down on his bed and remove his wig. He turned on his side, with his back facing me.

Yawning, I removed my shirt and slid off my pants, sliding into something more comfortable to sleep in. Climbing onto my bed, I pulled the thick blanket over my shivering form, and thankfully, drifted off into a deep sleep.

* * *

I squinted my eyes against the bright sunlight that lit the room, pulling the covers over my head. Someone then kicked at me.

"Oi, wake up. We're going to be late for school," Uchiha-san growled.

I tried sitting up, but immediately fell back into the softness of my bed, worn out from the small amount of effort I'd just used up. My chest was on fire and my stomach was hurting as though someone had punched me repeatedly. I tried to refocus my gaze on Uchiha-san, who stood above me, but my vision was anything but clear.

"Hey, didn't you hear me?" Uchiha-san ripped the blanket from my body. "You have ten minutes to get ready!"

As I laid there, unable to move, I shivered in place, wrapping my arms around myself for warmth. My eyes began to tear up from the unbearable pain. It hurt so much. "U-Uchiha-san," I sniffed. "I think s-somethings wrong w-with me..."

* * *

"A hundred and seventeen degrees?!" Sakura cried. She held the thermometer above her head, as if to get a better look at it. I, on the other hand, could barely see anything. Everyone around me was a complete blur. I sneezed.

"Are you okay, Hinata-chan?" Haku-san asked. He took my hands in his own. As soft as they were, he was warm, and it did not help the fact that I was literally burning up in my own bed.

"I-I'm fine, Haku-san. It's just a cold, it'll g-go away soon."

"_Just_a cold?" Sakura asked. She placed her hand on my forehead. It was warm as well and only made me feel uncomfortable. "You're practically on fire, silly. Don't say it's just a cold." She helped me get up into a sitting position, placing two capsules in my hand. "Take these. They should help, at least for now that is." I popped them into my mouth and drank down the cup of water Sakura had given me as well. "Now get some rest," she said. "Sleep all day if you have to."

"We'll check up on you later," said Haku-san, patting my head. I could hear their footsteps as they went out the door, closing it behind them. I sneezed again.

"Ahchoo!"

"Uh, here," said the voice of my roommate.

"Uchiha-san, you're still here?" My voice came out slightly raspy as I spoke. He handed me a box of tissues. I pulled one out and blew my nose as quietly as I could.

"Yeah, why, you got a problem with that?"

"N-No, of course not! It's just-aren't you going to be late for class?"'

"I'll leave when I feel like it, stupid. So just shut up and stay still." I was unprepared for what was about to happen next.

The bed sunk down as he leaned forward, placing his hand over my forehead, but unlike Sakura and Haku-san, his hands were nice and cool. I sighed in bliss and closed my eyes. How nice his hand felt.

"Geeze, you really are burning up," he muttered. I sighed in disappointment as he pulled his hand away, the only comfort I'd felt since I had woken up. "Okay, I'm leaving now, but I'll come by during lunch. Is there anything you want me to buy for you?"

"S-Strawberry milk?" I squeaked. I heard him groan in disgust.

"Strawberry milk it is. Anyways, like Haruno said, get some rest, Hinata. You really do need it."

"O-Okay," I mumbled sleepily before pulling the covers over my head.

* * *

**_Sakura's POV:_**

"You carried me to my dorm room?" Haku asked while blushing. He drank down his carton of strawberry milk, avoiding my eyes. "I didn't know that," he muttered. "Um...sorry you had to go through all that trouble..."

"It's fine," I said, flicking my wrist at him. "You're really light anyways," I grinned. "Like a girl."

He blushed. "D-Don't say that, Sakura-chan!"

"I only speak the truth."

We were currently eating our lunch outside and agreed that the cold fresh air suited us better than the warm and stuffy cafeteria, overflowing with girls. I sighed, leaning forward to rest my cheek against the back of my hand.

"What's wrong?" Haku asked, biting into his steamy seasoned-noodle bun. "Why aren't you eating your lunch?"

"Hmmm...I just can't help but worry about Hinata," I shrugged. "To be honest, this is the first time I've ever seen her sick in all the years I've known her."

"Should we go check on her then?" he suggested "while we still have some time left that is."

I pondered on the thought and shook my head. "Probably not. I don't want to disturb her while she's trying to sleep."

Haku scratched the side of his head thoughtfully. "Well, that's true. And since it's Hinata-chan we're talking about here, she'd probably say something like-"

**Hinata: **_"O-Oh, you guys came to check up on me? That's very sweet of you, but y-you didn't have to." _

"-or something like that," he finished.

I laughed. "And she'd probably have a coughing fit," I said as an afterthought.

"And her face would be flushed red," he added.

"She'd be breathless."

"And her eyes would be watering."

"And...her hair and clothes would be all disheveled," Haku gulped.

We both stood up and looked into each other's eyes.

"Maybe we should check up on her, you know, just in case," I said, while trying to keep my voice under control.

"I-I agree," he nodded, sweat beading his face.

* * *

_"Okaasan, okaasan, look at what I found!"_

_I held up the pink shell for her to see. She bent down at my level to get a better look at it, her eyes full of love and warmth. "How pretty," she smiled. "Where did you find it at?"_

_I pointed along the ocean shore, watching as the water that swirled in turned white, leaving bits of foam behind._

_"Oh my," she gasped quietly. Standing up, she wrapped the thin-white transparent shawl tighter around her small shoulders. "Hinata, you shouldn't get so close to the shore, dear, seeing as how small you are. If your father were to ever find out, he'd have quite the fit, don't you think?"_

_I imagined my father scolding me severely, or worse. My face turned blue in horror at the thought of it. I shook my head. "Please don't tell otousan!" I cried._

_She laughed and gently patted my head with her soft hand. Holding a finger up to her lips, she smiled. "It'll be our secret."_

_I ran forward to throw my arms around my mother's legs, laughing as she picked me up to balance me on the side of her hip while pecking quick and teasing kisses on my face._

_To this day, I can still remember her touch, her fragrance, the warmth of her white skin, the softness of her voice and hair. She was a memory I refused to erase from my existence-one that I would never, nor could I ever, forget._

* * *

I woke up that afternoon to meet the dark eyes of my roommate, who stood above me, looking directly down into my face. The dream I had was pleasant, but waking up to see Uchiha-san was just as good. I blushed as we exchanged glances. He really had come as he'd promised to.

"You're finally awake, huh?" he reached into a white plastic bag and pulled out a small carton of strawberry milk, holding it out for me to take. "Here, you're thirsty, right?"

I sat up, feeling much better than I did earlier. "Th-Thank you," I smiled, unwrapping the small straw to poke it inside the carton. I sipped on it and watched as Uchiha-san made a face.

"How can you drink that stuff?" he asked with a look of disgust.

I shrugged. "I like anything that's strawberry-flavored."

"And I hate anything sweet," he said in a deadpanned voice.

"Oh, r-really? Then, wh-what do you like?"

"Anything's fine, so long as it doesn't have anything with fermented soybeans, tomatoes or sweets."

I chuckled quietly to myself, but he must've heard me since he asked "What's so funny?"

"It's nothing," I hesitated "I just never thought of Uchiha-san as a picky eater."

His face was red in an instant. "S-So what if I'm a picky eater? You got a problem with that?"

Shaking my head, I smiled at him. "Not at all, I find it quite endearing actually-"

He suddenly shoved a bag at me, his eyes averted elsewhere. "Just shut up and eat, stupid." I could tell he was still blushing since his ears were red. Uchiha-san could be so cute sometimes.

My eyes went down to the bag in my lap. "What is it?" I asked, curious to see what he had gotten me.

"Strawberry daifuku," he muttered, not meeting my eyes. "Since you wanted the strawberry milk, I thought you would want something to eat with it."

I stared at it, immensely touched by the kind gesture, especially since I'd never asked for anything to eat in the first place. Seeing it now though suddenly made my stomach growl in hunger. I turned to look at him.

"Geez, if you don't like it, just say so, I'll go and get something else instead then-"

"N-No!" I cried, stopping him before he could stand up to leave. "I...I love strawberry daifuku." My cheeks went red the instant those words left my mouth. Uchiha-san blushed as well, and to no avail, tried covering up his face.

"This is what I can't stand about you," he muttered. "You make a big deal out of every small thing."

During our awkward moment of silence, the door to our room suddenly burst open. Haku-san came stomping in, grabbed Uchiha-san by the neck, and began strangling him with tears in his eyes. "Traitor!" he cried. "Seducing her when no one else is around, that's so low of you! I thought I was your one and only love!"

"What the...hell are you...talking about?" Uchiha-san gasped, while trying to breathe for air. "Stupid...transvestite!"

Sakura calmly walked in with the smile of an angel on her face, holding a bag of convenience store items. "Here Hinata," she said, taking her seat beside me on the bed. "I bought you an ice-pack and some strawberry yogurt to help cool you down."

I looked over her shoulder. "Um, sh-shouldn't we help, Uchiha-san?"

"Oh, don't worry about that idiot." She continued smiling beautifully, but I could've sworn I saw a throbbing vein near her temple. "He deserves it."

* * *

**A/N: Hello everyone! I'm always apologizing about these late updates, but it's really because I don't have time. I love _The Princess and the Prince, _so I'm thankful for the readers out there who love this story, or at least enjoy it as well. And I don't want to be mean or bitchy about this, but really, if someone doesn't like my fic, then they don't have to read it.**

**And I know I shouldn't be acting like a tattletale, since that's what I feel like, but a reviewer recently told me my fic was silly and shallow. And yeah, I know it's true and all, but it's a frickin FANFIC for crying out loud! Who says I can't have fun with it and do whatever I like? Geez, sigh. I'm sorry for venting my anger out like this, but I just had to get it off my back.**

**Anyways, if you haven't already visited my homepage, then please do so! I posted a picture of Hinata and Nejion my profile with a link: How Hinata looks in the eyes of her fangirls, with a sweeter face though, and Neji...well, he's feminine in my fic, so please ignore the one in the pic, not that I don't think he's hot or anything, he just shouldn't look like that in my TPATP fic.**

**Thanks for reading, and please review! :3**


	24. Group Outing Pt 1

**Chapter 24: Group Outing Pt. 1**

"S-Senpai, I've always liked you, e-ever since I first came into this school, so..." the girl immediately thrust the letter forward, blushing "-p-please accept this letter!"

I stared at her silent, unsure of what to do. My heart was beating rapidly out of control, my eyebrows arching in confusion. Was I supposed to take it or was 'no' a more appropriate response? For some reason, I felt really embarrassed. It was understandable now how Hinata felt during situations like these. No wonder she hated it when I made fun of her.

Coughing into my closed fist, I cleared my throat before speaking, my voice wary. "Um...are you sure its for me? If its Hinata you want, I'd gladly make sure she gets it-"

"No!" she cried with teary eyes, her face as red as a tomato. "The one I like is Haruno-senpai, only you!"

The heat rose to my cheeks as I blushed. There really was a first time for everything. I never thought it possible in my entire life that I'd ever be confessed to by another girl. As flattering as it was, it was also strange. The only girl for me was Hinata.

I raised my hand in an apologetic gesture and bowed. "I'm sorry, but...I can't accept that."

Her teary eyes finally began pouring forth tears. She sniffled, wiping at her face with the sleeves of her uniform. "S-Sorry," she apologized, her voice heart-breaking to listen to. "Having a g-girl of all p-p-people confess to you m-must be troublesome, r-right?"

I wanted to reach out and comfort her, but doing so would only make it worse. I knew that much from my own experience at least.

The bell rang. I left for class.

* * *

"Hinata-chan!" Haku-san cried, waving his arms about frantically as he ran towards me down the hallway. He hugged me from behind before I had the chance to fully turn around as he snuggled his face in my hair. "You always smell nice," he smiled. Releasing me, he placed a hand over my forehead. "Finally feeling better?" he asked.

I smiled in return. "Better than ever. Uchiha-san really helped me out these past three days."

Haku-san frowned and pointed at himself. "What about me? I helped too, didn't I? And Sakura-chan?"

"Of course. And because the three of you were so kind as to help me, I thought maybe that I could give you all something in return."

Haku-san blushed as I said this. "S-Something in return?"

"If you're thinking what I'm thinking, then that's definitely not it," a voice laughed. Sakura came up from behind Haku-san, her hand on his shoulder in what looked like an attempt to console him as tears streamed down his face.

"I should've known better," he sighed.

I stared at the two of them, confused. There were times when I felt I shouldn't be a part of their conversations since I didn't understand them. The bell rang. It was time for the next period to start. Haku-san and Sakura waved goodbye as they left for their classroom.

* * *

"Amusement park? You want to go there?" Uchiha-san asked. He sat cross-legged on his bed and eating a bag of potato chips, watched T.V at the same time. He'd removed his wig and had taken to wearing more casual clothes whenever he was in the room. It was at times like these that made me realize my roommate was a boy. Strangely though, I wasn't the least bit uncomfortable with it, but rather content. My father would surely have a fit if he were to ever find out.

"Yes,"I smiled, brushing the brush through my hair as I sat down on the edge of my bed. "You'll come, won't you? Sakura and Haku-san are going too. It'll be the four of us."

He rolled his eyes. "An androgynous girl, a violent girl and a transvestite. Gee, I can't think of anything more fun than spending time with you three."

I could feel the earth starting to crumble beneath my feet. Uchiha-san instantly took notice of my hurt expression and sputtered "I-I was just kidding, you idiot!"

"Really?" I squeaked, hugging the plush Ichigo and Rukia dolls in my arms for comfort. They were so cute.

"It's not you," he scoffed "It's them. That damn transvestite has been on my case lately, and Haruno's acting weirder than ever." He clicked the T.V off and threw the remote to the side, falling back to lie down on his bed. "I already have enough to deal with as it is. Me being around them would only make things worse. They both get pissed off at me for no reason anyways."

"Ah, b-but don't you think going out is the best way to fix things?" He turned to look at me, his expression weary.

"What are you going on about now?" he sighed.

"Um...what I mean is...I th-think it's good for everyone if we were to all just have fun. Or something like that..." I muttered, embarrassed by my pathetic attempt of an excuse to get him to go with us.

He sighed a long sigh this time. "Do you really want me to go?" he asked, raking back his dark hair.

"Yes, but if you really don't want to, then-"

"Fine."

My ears perked up at this. "What?"

"I'll go," he muttered. "But only because you're being annoying about it."

"_Really_?" I cried, trying not to smile from the happiness I was feeling. I wanted to confirm it first.

"Stop doing that!" he growled, his face red.

"Doing what?"

He groaned. "Ugh, just shut up and go to sleep."

* * *

"Whoa, who is _that_?" asked a girl.

"Is he a model? his legs are so long..."

"What a cool-looking guy," another girl whispered.

"Is he alone or is he meeting someone?"

At that very moment, three beautiful girls ran up to him, smiling yet breathless. Only one of them was frowning, and she still looked pretty.

The boy was properly suited for the chilly season, with his black jacket and it's white fur-rimmed hood. He wore casual jeans that retained a look of slight bagginess, yet at the same time, fitting for his legs. His bangs swept to his left side, his pretty and handsome face a delight for the females around him.

**_Hinata's POV:_**

I leaned against the metal railing just outside of the amusement park, the very same one I'd had my first date at with Sai-san.

_Ah, this really brings back memories_..._wait, why am I talking like an old man?_ I shook my head and looked down at my wristwatch. It was about time for the three of them to get here by now.

"Soooooorrry!"

I looked up to see Sakura and Haku-san running towards me. Uchiha-san trudged behind them slowly, a frown on his face.

Sakura hugged me before giving me a quick peck on the cheek. "We got lost on our way here," she grinned, sticking her tongue out.

"It was Setsuna-chan's fault," said Haku-san, who in turn squeezed me. Uchiha-san's frown deepened.

"Hey, don't pin the blame on me! I told you guys that we should've taken the bus, but you two wanted to take the train instead!"

They stuck their tongues out at him and hid behind me. "Stuuuuupid," they both said in unison.

Uchiha-san growled, shoving his hands in the pockets of his jacket and sighed. "Oh forget it, let's just go already."

The four of us got in line to buy our tickets. After purchasing them, Sakura and Haku-san each grabbed me by the arm. "Let's go on that ride!" they both cried.

The day was fun, if not a bit nauseating. We went on just about everything from fast to slow. Spinning teacups, the merry-go-round, and the roller coaster . Uchiha-san ran into the bathroom to vomit after riding the roller coaster. Apparently, his stomach hadn't been able to handle it. Haku-san and Sakura laughed at him about it. I wanted to help relieve him of his nausea of course, but I didn't want to heighten my own by going into the males bathroom. Haku-san and Sakura said they'd go on ahead and try out the other rides. If it weren't for the cold weather, I might've been able to enjoy our outing more, despite the fact that it had been my idea in the first place.

Once he came out, I handed him a warm can of green tea. I'd bought it half-an-hour ago from the vending machine. If I'd known that Uchiha-san would take so long in the bathroom, I would've waited to buy it later. "For me?" he asked. I nodded. "Thanks." Popping it open, he took a long sip, his eyes closed. After finishing it, he threw the can into a nearby trashcan.

"So," he said, his eyes darting back and forth from the food stands around us, radiating with warmth and delicious smells. "What do you want to do now?" I smiled at him. "W-What's with that face?"

"You're hungry, aren't you?"

Blushing, he put a hand over his mouth. "Is it that obvious?"

I continued smiling, which in turn only caused his blush to worsen. "It's nothing to be embarrassed about."

"Actually, it is if you just threw up today's breakfast after the third ride."

We both laughed. "It's fine, I'll get us something to eat," I offered.

"You sure?"

"Of course."

"I want yakisoba then."

* * *

I pulled up the hood of my jacket over my head. My ears were freezing. "Excuse me, could I have one serving of yakisoba?"

"Sure," replied the familiar voice. "Is there anything in particular you want in-" as he turned around, our eyes met.

"Sai-san?" I gasped.

"Hina-chan!" he smiled. Instead of a dark-blue bandana, he was wearing a white one, complete with a matching apron. With his chopsticks in hand, Sai-san continued preparing the yakisoba I'd ordered while talking to me at the same time with his head turned. "So what brings you here my princess? You on a date with someone?"

I blushed at his words. He was good at doing that. "N-No, of course not. I'm just here with my friends."

"Your friends?" He added a bit more oil before stirring the noodles again, tossing in seasonings as well as vegetables. The iron grill sizzled, allowing the scent of the food to permeate my senses. It smelled delicious. "How many of you are there?"

"Four," I answered "including me."

As soon as it was fully cooked, Sai-san whipped out a foam tray, twirling the noodles in elegantly before closing the lid shut. "If there's four of you," he knitted his eyebrows together "I don't think one serving will be enough." He held up his chopsticks. "Want me to make you another batch?"

"Oh, it's n-not for me, it's for my friend."

"She's gonna eat this all by herself?" I nodded. Sai-san suddenly laughed, patting me on the shoulder. "This I've _got_ to see." He smiled. "I'll go with you."

"Eh? F-For what?"

He pouted. "You've never really properly introduced me to your friends y'know. So why don't we do that now?"

"Oh, but-"

"I can't?" he pouted.

Blushing, I turned my head away, to keep from exploding directly in his face. "N-Never mind."

* * *

"Is that her Hina-chan?" he let out a low appreciative whistle. "Hey, she's pretty cute. Oh, looks like she's getting hit on by some guys though."

_**WHAT?!**_

Turning around, I could see that Sai-san was right. Three young men stood around Uchiha-san, persistently grabbing at his arms. They all looked to be in their twenties, and from the looks of it, Uchiha-san was angry. With the fact that he was currently dressed as a girl, I couldn't let him expose himself in public by getting into a fight.

"Ano, do you think you could hold this for me, Sai-san?" I handed him the tray of yakisoba.

"Huh?" he looked confused. "What are you doing?"

"Saving her of course."

I ran up to them just in time to keep Uchiha-san from punching them. His fists rested shakily at his sides. I could tell he was struggling. He gave me a look, but I pretended that I hadn't seen it, and instead stood my ground before the men.

"H-Hello," I greeted them. "W-What seems to be the problem here?"

The man in the back pushed his way through the other two, reaching forward to roughly grab me by the front of my jacket. Uchiha-san was about to step forward, his eyes seething with rage, but I met his eyes, hoping that my message would get through to him.

_Don't. Calm down._

He clicked his tongue and looked away. I had a feeling I would later regret my actions.

The man scowled at me. "Who the hell are you ya' damn punk? You this girl's boyfriend or something?"

I shook my head. "N-No, I'm her friend."

He grinned. "Friend, huh? Then, since she's your friend, you don't mind if we borrow her for a little, right?" He threw me across the ground, luckily, with less force than I expected. My hood fell down as I sat up, rubbing tenderly at the back of my head.

"Ow..."

"Hinata!" Uchiha-san ran to my side, bending down to examine my head with his hands placed firmly on my cheeks. "Are you alright?" he asked, while rubbing the back of my head. I think he was checking to see whether or not I was bleeding anywhere. "You're not hurt, are you?" he asked. His voice was frantic, something unexpected of Uchiha-san. Although now wasn't the time to be thinking of such things, I couldn't help but feel my heart warm up at his concern for me.

"I-I'm fine," I blushed.

The man came over, reaching out to grab Uchiha-san by the arm. "Hey cutie, forget this wimp," he smiled. "If you come with us, we'll show you a great ti-" he froze the second our eyes met. The other men froze in place as well. They were all staring at me.

"Wh-What is it?" I asked, afraid that he'd throw me again. However, all-at-once, the three of them surrounded me completely, pushing Uchiha-san to the side.

"I don't care if you're a boy, you want to go out with me?" one of them asked, taking my hands in his own.

"Nii-san will take you somewhere nice for dinner. How about it?"

"I drive a BMW convertible, you like cars, don't you?"

One after another, the questions were continually thrown my way. There were so many that I hadn't been able to comprehend what any of them had said. Much to my dismay, Uchiha-san had beaten each of them to a pulp.

Pulling me up, Uchiha-san stuck his middle finger up at them. "Try hitting on her again and I'll rip off your f***ing heads."

* * *

**_Meanwhile with Sakura and Haku_**:

"Whoo, that was fun!" Haku sighed. He bit into his steaming mean bun, melting in content at the warmth it provided his chapped lips. The temperature was dropping these days, and it was getting colder by the second. He shivered, wrapping his arms around himself.

Sakura grinned to herself, satisfied as well. The two had gone on many rides in the last forty-five minutes and were exhausted, if not happy. She rubbed her hands together for heat as the two walked together. "I sh-should've dressed w-w-warmer," she said through chattering teeth.

"The cold is definitely worth it though," Haku smiled dreamily, his thoughts drifting towards Hinata and her overbearing, adorable cuteness. Suddenly, he stopped walking. Sakura turned to look at him.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"H...Hinata," he choked.

"What about her?"

Haku's face turned blue. "S...Setsuna-chan."

It only took her a second to figure out what he meant by just their names alone.

"Aw CRAP! We were having so much fun that we forgot and left them alone with each other!" she cried.

* * *

**_Meanwhile with Sai:_**

"She forgot her yakisoba..."


	25. Group Outing Pt 2

**Chapter 25: Group Outing Pt. 2**

The silence was thick and nerving as I walked behind Uchiha-san, who seemed to be in a _very_ bad mood at the moment. With the park packed full of people, we, mostly Uchiha-san, would occasionally bump into someone by accident. Uchiha-san never apologized and merely took to glaring at them instead. While they stood there in shock, I in turn would apologize for him before running after Uchiha-san. He walked a lot faster than I would've preferred him to, since my legs were giving out.

When he finally did come to a stop, I crashed into him from behind, hitting my nose against his back. _His back?_ Looking up, I nearly gaped at the discovery I'd just made. He turned around to look down at me, his eyebrow raised.

"You okay?"

With my mouth still open, I nodded my head furiously. He shrugged and merely returned to walking. I continued to follow him, suddenly self-conscious for reasons I couldn't understand. Blushing, I looked back up at Uchiha-san, who now stood about a half-a-foot taller than me. What I'd failed to notice over the past two months was his sudden growth in height.

_He grew taller_, I thought to myself. _He's taller than me now_. For some reason, the very thought of it made me happy, but there was something else as well. Something I couldn't quite put my finger on. Uchiha-san just looked really different to me for some reason.

While walking, Uchiha-san finally spoke. "You didn't have to do any of that, y'know."

"Do what?"

He whirled around to face me, a dark look on his face. "You know exactly what I mean. "

Realization slapped me across the face once I realized what it was that he was talking about. My attempt at saving him had been futile. He instead had switched roles with me and had beaten them with a brutality unfitting of a boy in a girl disguise.

"I'm sorry," I apologized. "I just thought…that if you'd handled it, you might've gotten out of control and reveal yourself in front of everyone."

He snorted. "If you didn't notice, I handled it just fine. It's not like I was gonna suddenly pull off this stupid wig and go crazy on them."

"But…you kind of did," I squeaked. They'd been bloody by the time we'd left. I was surprised that no one had bothered to call the police on us.

He huffed in response, scowling. "Well, it serves them right! Hitting on me is one thing, but hitting on you is-" he stopped midway and muttered something to himself before saying, "Never mind."

"Huh?" I asked, curious to hear him finish the rest of what he had to say.

Uchiha-san growled at this. "Look, just…if other guys start coming up to you like that, and you don't like it, then get as far away from them as possible. "

"Like what?" I blinked. What was he talking about?

Uchiha-san heaved a sigh. "Forget it."

As we passed by several game booths, Uchiha-san grabbed hold of my hand, walking faster as he led me towards God-knows-where. The second our hands touched, however, had been like a spark of electricity through my entire right arm, numbing it completely. My heart began to speed up for reasons I couldn't comprehend, while a hazy-white cloud began to obscure my field-of-vision. My blush worsened as he tightened his hold on my hand, our fingers lacing over each other's as we walked by people.

Uchiha-san may have not noticed, but their stares hadn't gone unnoticed by my eyes. My face felt as though it were practically on fire. How strange we must've looked to all of them, a tall girl leading a boy somewhere by hand.

Speaking of which… "Ano, Uchiha-san, wh-where are we going?"

"Ferris wheel," he answered. "I…I have something to tell you."

My heart began to pick up even more speed as we power-walked towards our destination.

* * *

"WHERE ARE THEY?!?!?!?" Haku cried, pulling at his hair in frustration. Tears were streaming down his face by this point as he shook his head. "It's enough that they sleep in the same room together, but if Sasuke's with Hinata-chan any longer, he might see how cute she REALLY is!"

Sakura fought back the urge to twitch at his words. The pink-haired beauty clenched her fists at her sides. Emotions she hadn't thought possible swirled deep within her entire being. The strongest was her fear. She had no idea why, but her sixth sense told her to find the other two soon. If not, something was bound to happen.

And though she wouldn't admit it, it would not please her in the least bit.

"There's one place we didn't check yet," Sakura said, her voice even despite the strange turmoil she felt.

Haku blinked at her. "Where?"

The second Sakura pointed at the large Ferris wheel, Haku ran like mad towards it, pulling Sakura after him.

* * *

Just as the operator was about to help me up onto the gondola, Uchiha-san shoved away the man's hand, giving him a spine-chilling glare before helping me up himself. As Uchiha-san climbed in after me, the man muttered to Uchiha-san "Enjoy the ride, miss," before shutting the door. As soon as the locks clicked in place, we were on our way up, coming to a stop as the gondola below us came to a halt for the next set of passengers.

Uchiha-san sat across from me, one leg over the other as he leaned back with his arms crossed, staring out the window.

I fidgeted nervously in my seat, glancing up at him every once-in-awhile from my lap. What was it that he wanted to tell me? And if he wanted to tell me something, then why wasn't he saying anything? I honestly couldn't stand the silence and decided to speak up first.

"Um, Uchiha-san?"

He lazily turned his head around in my direction. "Hn?"

"Y-You said that you had something you w-wanted to tell me?"

He sighed and looked out the window again. "Oh yeah, _that_." Straightening his position properly this time so that he faced me, Uchiha-san leaned forward, elbows on his knees, chin resting on his overlapped hands. My body tensed at the serious look on his face. There were a few times where he'd been serious, but never like this. Uchiha-san was…incredibly different. There was something about him that made my heart pound even more than necessary. The feeling was strange, but…I kind of liked it.

"Hinata," he began, his voice deeper than normal, contradicting the way he was currently dressed.

"Y-Yes?"

He sighed. "The truth is…I've wanted to tell you this for awhile, but…I never really got a chance to bring it up until now."

"W-What is it?" My heart began to pick up speed for the third time that day.

He looked away before continuing. "That is…the real reason me and Haku are posing as girls at your school."

"Oh, I-I see." A sense of disappointment lingered momentarily. Exactly what was it that I had been expecting? Suddenly interested, I gulped and decided to focus on Uchiha-san, hoping that it wasn't anything crime-related.

"My stupid brother loves to gamble."

"Eh?"

"And because of his stupid addiction, he, along with the transvestite's stupid uncle decided to go-all-out with a yakuza group. Of all the people to associate with-" he growled, kicking at the gondola. Raking a hand through his hair in frustration, Uchiha-san sighed. "Point is-he lost everything. From the savings our parents had left us to the house we used to live in, the idiot…Lost. _Everything_. So now that the yakuza are after them, I think they're called the _Akatsuki _or something, it figures that they'd be after us too. And since my brother just happened to be a good acquaintance of the headmistress at your school, she agreed to let the two of us hide there while the other two ran off somewhere else, doing God-knows-what." Uchiha-san rolled his eyes. "So yeah, that's our story as far as I'm aware of. Did that idiot transvestite tell you anything else aside from what I just said?"

I shook my head. "I only remember the one time where Haku-san had said that the reason was embarrassing."

Uchiha-san flushed red as I said this. After clearing his throat, the blush disappeared as fast as it had come. "Well, yeah, it actually _is_ embarrassing now that I think about it."

I smiled. Uchiha-san could be so cute sometimes. "There's nothing to be embarrassed about. In fact, if it weren't for your brother, we never would've met at all."

Uchiha-san blushed at this and frowned. "You have a bad habit for saying weird things."

"Eh? D-Do I really?"

From the smirk on his face, he seemed to enjoy my reaction. "There's nothing wrong with that though, I guess." His smirk was replaced with a small smile. "I kind of like it."

The blood rushed to my head the second the word 'like' came from his mouth. He noticed my blush and returned to blushing as well. "Er…I don't mean it like-I mean…we're friends, right?"

I nodded my head and forced a smile on my face. "Y-Yes, of course we are." Once the words left my mouth, our gondola came to a halt at the very top of the ride. I got up from my seat to look out the window, amazed at the view we were provided with. A sense of déjà vu overcame me then and I was reminded of my first date here with Sai-san. Blushing, I glanced over at Uchiha-san who stared at me, his gaze fixed with my own. My heart sped up and I turned away, returning my eyes to the amusement park below.

_What's wrong with me? Why do I suddenly feel so self-conscious around Uchiha-san? _

As I continued to look out the window, I caught sight of two people in the gondola next to ours waving their arms around frantically. I pressed my face against the glass to get a better look at them. Upon realizing who the two were, I broke out into a smile and turned to Uchiha-san.

"Uchiha-san, look! Sakura and Haku-san are on the Ferris wheel too!"

* * *

_**Meanwhile:**_

"SASUKE, YOU BASTARD!!!!" Haku cried, pressing his face up against the glass window as well. Tears streamed down his face as he caught sight of his angel in the gondola above him, smiling down at both him and Sakura. The Uchiha was without-a-doubt beside her, rolling his eyes.

Sakura on the other hand cracked her knuckles, several veins popping near her forehead.

* * *

**A/N: Wow, it's been so long since I've updated this story. Don't get me wrong, it's not like I lost interest in it or anything, the writer's block just happened to attack me at the wrong time. I still love this story as well as the rest. And I plan on updating the rest of those soon too, just not sure when.**

**About Sasuke's sudden revelation, like I said, it wasn't anything too serious. I actually had their reason planned out from the beginning, but with the excitement of typing everything up, I forgot to add it in around chapter 4 or so. So sorry about that!**

**Anyways, please review! Those of you who've stuck with me this far, I cannot thank you enough. I really appreciate the reviews you leave for me. You know who you guys are!**

**Oh, and about Hinata's fever, I don't know what it was that I was thinking when I put down 117 degrees. I must've high or something when I did that, but yeah, being the idiot that I am, please ignore that small mistake.**


	26. Confusion Mixed With A Cultural Festival

**Chapter 26: Confusion Mixed With A Cultural Festival**

_**Sakura's POV:**_

I hate men, I really do, but…a certain Uchiha has been making it harder for me to do so.

While on our way back to the academy, we sat across from each other on the train. Haku sat beside the Uchiha, about a foot away from him as he slept peacefully. The beautiful prince sitting beside me had fallen asleep as well, resting her head on my shoulder as she leaned against me, her body heat warm.

With my arms crossed over my chest, I glared at the Uchiha, wondering what it was that he had done to Hinata in all the time we'd been separated. He responded to this by rolling his eyes, which pissed me off, though I didn't show it.

"What now?" he asked.

"Nothing."

"If it was nothing, then you wouldn't be looking at me like that."

"Like what?"

"Like you want to kill me," he deadpanned.

"Ah, you're right about that," I nodded.

He massaged his forehead before training his eyes on me again, a frown on his face. "What's your problem?"

"Problem? What problem? I don't have a problem."

His left eye began to twitch. "Fine then, if you want to be like that, then whatever."

We were both silent as the train continued its course, the sound of wheels rattling against steel tracks. The sun was on its way to setting, creating a pink and orange glow within the sky. It was beautiful, but even beauty couldn't stop the pain and anger that ate away relentlessly at my heart.

I finally spoke up. "What did you guys do the whole time you were gone?"

He looked up at me, expressionless before replying "We were at an amusement park, what else would we do there?"

Frowning, I tucked back a lock of my hair. "You know what I mean."

He was quiet for about a few seconds. "No, I don't."

Those words were enough to set me on edge. I stood up, completely forgetting that Hinata had been lying against me as she gently fell to the seat, still sound asleep.

"I'm asking what happened between you two!" I cried, throwing my arms up in exasperation as I glared at him. "Are you really so dense that you need me to spell it out for you?!"

He snorted. "I didn't do anything you wouldn't have done. And besides, why should you care about what we do? What happens between us is our business."

There it was again, that strange feeling of pain that swelled deep inside my heart, throbbing, ready to burst at any second from my chest. The anger slowly rose as I stared at the Uchiha, taking in his appearance.

Black locks of perfectly straight hair fell just below his elbows, bangs parted above his smooth and pale forehead. Eyes the color of obsidian stood out against his pale skin, an eye-catching feature that plenty were sure to notice if he walked the streets of Tokyo.

"What you do is my business, because…"

The guilt ate at my heart as I turned my head to stare at Hinata. Anyone with eyes could've seen how obvious she was about her feelings, despite her not knowing it. From the moment we first met, I knew right away that she would become a special person to me. She was, and always would be with the years left to come. I loved her. I loved her so much that it hurt. It hurt because I was betraying her, no matter how much I didn't want to. It hurt because I hated myself for feeling this way.

I hated the fact that I liked a man.

I hated the fact that I liked Uchiha Sasuke.

God, I hated myself.

"I like-!"

The train suddenly shook with a huge jolt, throwing me forward as I unexpectedly fell into the Uchiha's arms. With my face against his chest, I stared up at him as he winced and rubbed the back of his head. "What the hell was that?" he hissed.

The sound of my heartbeat became deafening as our eyes locked, his forehead scrunched in concern. A scent I was unfamiliar with fell over me, not at all nauseating, but pleasant. I'd never been this close to him before. The pounding of my heart was loud, steady-as it increased with each beat, my breath hitching in my throat as the heat filled my cheeks with a redness I wasn't accustomed to.

"Hey, Haruno, you okay?"

_It's so loud_…

His voice was barely audible as he spoke to me. I wanted to tell him that it was no use, that I could hardly hear him, no matter how much I secretly enjoyed the sound of his voice. His eyes were dark pools as he stared at me, confused. I would never admit it to him, but they were beautiful. I couldn't stop looking at them.

"Haruno?"

Thoughts rushed into my mind as I questioned myself. Why did I like him? Sure, he was beautiful of course, but so was Haku and Sakamoto-senpai as well. Uchiha Sasuke was no different than the rest of them, was he? He was just a beautiful boy I happened to meet by chance through Hinata. He wasn't anything special. And besides, I hated boys anyways, right?

So, just what was it that made him so special?

Leaning down so that our faces were only about an inch apart, he eyed me warily before asking, "You're not hurt, are you?"

With the distance shortened between us, my face went completely red as I lowered my gaze in astonishment due to the revelation I'd just made.

His sigh made me look back up at him as he frowned. "I was right after all. It's about Hinata, isn't it?" he raked back his bangs. "You're afraid that I'll steal your best friend from you, right?"

I said nothing and stared at him, blinking. That half was true, but it seemed he was far from discovering the other half.

He placed a hand on my shoulder and with a firm look said, "Look, she's important to me too, okay? But I don't plan on taking her somewhere to keep her all to myself, y'know." He leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms. "I know you hate men, but if it really bothers you that much, then I could try and keep a distance from her. I'm not making any promises though," he added.

The thought of Hinata being ignored by him suddenly came to mind. I could already imagine her in tears if such a thing were to happen to her again. She liked the guy more than she let on. The guilt built up inside of me, but I forced it back down by saying "No, you don't have to do that."

He raised an eyebrow. "You sure?"

I got up to go back to my seat, lifting up Hinata's head so that it rested in my lap. "Yeah, I'm sure. It'd be painful to have to see her go through all of that again. She likes you too much to be ignored." While gently stroking her soft hair, I glanced up at the Uchiha to see what his reaction had been to my words.

His cheeks slightly red, he looked to the side with his eyes closed and his arms crossed.

"Yeah, well…I like her too, I guess," he muttered.

My eyes went back down to Hinata as I smiled. My beautiful prince was still asleep.

* * *

_**Hinata's POV:**_

At school the next day, Uchiha-san had gone back to his usual self, kicking at Haku-san whenever he was in his way.

Haku-san was angry about something and demanded for Uchiha-san to tell him about that something, but the other boy ignored him. Had it not been for the fact that we were in school, Haku-san would've attacked Uchiha-san. The bell rang, signaling that a minute was left for everyone to get to their classes.

"Bye Hinata-chan, I'll see you later!" Haku-san waved, returning to his usual cheerful self. I smiled and waved goodbye to him as he ran down the hall to his classroom, disappearing around the corner.

Slipping into my own classroom, I Iet out a sigh of relief as Fuuyuki-sensei entered, not noticing that I'd almost been late by a second. She took her position behind the desk upfront. Her graying hair was pulled up into a tight bun as usual, her black-rimmed glasses sharpening the features of her dark eyes. She frowned in disapproval as she scanned the classroom for empty seats, nodding to herself once she was done. A lot of the girls were scared of sensei, but I liked her. She was nice from what I knew.

Taking out the attendance chart from her desk, she took roll-call. Once she was finished with that as well, sensei set down her pencil and cleared her throat, straightening her posture as she spoke to us.

"As you all know, Sakuragi Academy will be holding its annual cultural festival in two weeks. You'll have homeroom for the rest of the day to give suggestions and make decisions with your classmates." She adjusted her glasses. "But I expect something school-appropriate. " Taking a few steps to the side, sensei held her notebook against her chest. "If you will, Komari-san…"

Our class representative, Komari-san took the position sensei had held earlier behind the desk, a light smile gracing her cute and delicate-looking face as she held up a piece of chalk. "Would anyone care to share their thoughts on the matter-at-hand?"

Several hands shot up as Komari-san called on one person at a time. Fuuyuki-sensei looked to the side and huffed. Everyone was aware of her dislike towards the cultural festival. According to her, it cut into our learning time and interfered with our studies. Sensei let out a sigh before turning her head back to face the class. Since I'd been looking at her, it was only natural that our eyes would meet. I gave her a smile, hoping that I could somehow make her relax. Her face only turned into a brilliant shade of red at this as she pursed her lips.

_Oh, she looks sick. I wonder if she's okay_…_?_

I listened with interest at the suggestions the girls of my class had made. Many had voted to run a regular booth and sell food, but others complained that since winter was approaching, it would be cold outside. The idea for the booth was immediately dropped. No one seemed to want to work outside in the cold. I was a bit saddened by this. Running a food booth outside had sounded like fun. I'd always wanted to try it. The ideas didn't stop there though. The girls seemed even more excited as they pitched in their ideas.

"Oh, I know! Let's do a haunted house!"

"No!" A few girls shrieked in terror.

"How about a cosplay café, class rep?"

"Why don't we just do an ordinary café?" Someone asked.

"Because then it wouldn't be interesting!"

"Oh, I see your point."

There were a few agreements and disagreements here and there. Somebody would want to do one thing while another person voted for something else. It was strange to see my class in such an uproar. They were usually calm and well-mannered girls, as expected of the Sakuragi Academy students. However, before the voices could get any louder, Komari-san clapped her hands twice to get everyone's attention.

"Well, she sighed, "I can see that we aren't going to get anywhere at this rate." Delicately cupping the side of her face with her right hand, Komari-san asked "Aside from those who have already spoken, is there anyone else who would like to make a suggestion?"

The class was silent, since just about everyone had already gone. I looked around the room to see who else would raise their hand, and to my surprise, Sakura had her hand up.

"Yes, Haruno-san?" Komari-san inquired politely.

Sakura's smile was brilliant as the rest of the girls took in her goddess-like aura, enthralled by her beauty.

Her voice was sweet. "How does a play sound?"

* * *

**A/N: Alright, it's 'play' time everyone! And by 'play', I mean onstage. This is a chance for everyone to participate, so I hope you guys will do so by voting on which play you want class 2-A to do. **

**Click that review button**** and I can assure you all that the next chapter will be much longer, with more SasuHina to come and other couplings as well. It's not certain yet, but expect a NEW CHARACTER!**


	27. Interrupted Date

**A/N: Um, I know I said that the play would be the reader's choice, but the suggestions I read had been far from what I was initially expecting. Many suggested plays I wasn't very familiar with, but it's to be expected since it was my fault. I wasn't very clear I guess which may have confused some readers. I apologize for that careless mistake.**

**What I meant were plays like: **_**Sleeping Beauty**_**, **_**Snow White**_**, **_**Cinderella**_**, **_**Beauty and the Beast**_**, and **_**Romeo and Juliet**_** (the overly-done and cliché choice of course) but I won't do that one since many of you seem to be against it. Don't blame you guys though. It **_**is**_** used a lot. **

**Now that that's all cleared up, please leave your vote again and prepare yourselves for some SasuHina-ness!**

**Enjoy!**

**

* * *

****Chapter 27: Interrupted Date**

"With that said," Komari-san smiled "I would like for everyone to place their votes inside this box I've prepared. Select your choice from the board please and write it down on a slip of paper."

The excitement in the room was obvious as the girls squealed over which play they wanted to put on. Quietly, I sighed to myself, drumming my fingers along the surface of my desk. _A play? Again?_ Unpleasant memories resurfaced as I recalled my junior high days. During my years in middle school, I'd constantly been forced to take part in the play as the male lead. The girls had been so insistent about it, but as for why…

_I never did understand why the girls suddenly started paying so much attention to me though. They'd been all over Naruto before._ I blew a wisp of hair away from my face. Nothing made sense these days.

When a hand suddenly came down on my shoulder, I looked up in surprise only to see Sakura grinning down at me. "Which one did you pick?" she asked.

I looked down at my clean slip of paper. "Ah, I-I'm still deciding." Sakura seemed excited like the rest of the girls so I decided to ask her which one she'd picked.

Grinning, she held up two fingers. "Cinderella of course!"

"Cinderella?"

"Yup." She smiled and threw her arms around my shoulders, her warm breath tickling my ear as she spoke. "If I'm lucky, then I might get the chance to become Hinata's prince."

Blushing, I averted my gaze elsewhere and unconsciously found myself imagining Sakura as a prince. It was strange, but she made quite the picture. Laughing into my palm, I glanced up at my friend. She regarded me with a curious look.

"What's so funny?" she asked, a warm smile spreading on her face.

I laughed again, but couldn't help it. "I'm s-sorry. I'm not making fun of you, it's just…" I smiled at her before continuing. "I thought maybe that you would make a good prince. Sakura is very pretty, but…you're also cool too."

Her face turning red, Sakura dove for me, burying her face into my shoulder. A bit surprised, I held her and patted her back, unable to keep myself from laughing.

* * *

"Wow, you guys are doing a play?" Haku-san's eyes were literally sparkling as he clasped his hands in front of his chest. "That sounds like fun!"

On his bed, Uchiha-san rolled over on his back, holding the novel high over his head before tossing it aside. "Che, what fun? We have to do a stupid princess play. It's bad enough that I have to wear the school uniform," he mumbled.

Haku-san dangled his feet in the air while sitting on the edge of my bed. "At least you're lucky. For all you know, you could get a male role." A frown suddenly overtook his features. "My class is doing a cosplay café," he sighed. "And they've already decided that they want to make me a bride."

I took out my earphones. "You're going to be a bride?"

Blushing, Haku-san turned his head to the side. "Yeah…" he muttered.

"What's wrong with you?" asked Uchiha-san. "I thought you liked dressing up in drag."

Haku-san flung his textbook at Uchiha-san before answering. "I used to, but…" he paused and glanced at me before continuing "for some reason, I'm starting to hate it."

I crawled over to sit beside Haku-san. His face became even redder as I leaned in. "Does that mean… that you're not going to dress up then?"

His face was horribly red by this point, and I was starting to question as to whether or not there was a flu going around. "I-I'm not sure. Why?"

A bit sad, I smiled. "Well, to be honest, I was kind of h-hoping that I would get to see you in pretty, white dress." Embarrassed, I lowered my head. "I-I'm sorry, that sounded really weird just now, right? Um, p-please forget what I said, you don't have to dress up if you don't want t-"

"I'LL DO IT!"

"E-Eh?"

His eyes were once again sparkling as he took my hands into his own. "If that's what Hinata-chan wants, then I'd gladly dress up as a girl for the rest of my life!"

"Oh, th-thank you?"

Uchiha-san rolled his eyes. "Pervert."

Suddenly, my cell-phone went off. Hopping off of my bed, I walked over to the dresser Uchiha-san and I shared, picking up the mobile device to check the caller ID. It was Naruto. I picked up. "Hello?"

"**Hey Hinata, you busy?"**

"Um, not really. Why?" I was only doing homework after all.

"**I was wondering if you wanted to go and hang out or something tomorrow. It's been awhile since we last saw each other."**

I paused. "It has, hasn't it? How's your new school?"

"**Awesome,"** he replied. **"There are boys everywhere I go! Cute and sexy! But it'd be nice if there were some girls here too."** He sighed. **"The school atmosphere is lacking a feminine softness."**

Blushing, I said quietly into the phone "N-Naruto…"

"**Oh, that's right. You want pictures, don't you? Don't worry; I'll make sure to get some nice ones in the locker room!"**

"N-Naruto!" Even if that was true, teasing me over the phone like this was just too much.

He laughed.** "I'm kidding." **His voice was soft now.**"I miss you, Hinata."** I could already picture his lonely smile, but instead of pain, his sweet words had filled my heart with a nostalgic warmth. Though I knew that he couldn't see it, I smiled anyways.

"I'd like that," I responded, equally soft. "Do you have somewhere in mind?" When it came to Naruto, I was willing to do anything for him.

"**Eh? Not really." **I could hear him scratching his head on the other end of the line.** "I thought maybe that we could kind of go with the flow-or something like that.**" He then laughed again before clearing his throat. **"Sorry."** And he really _did_ sound sorry. **"I'm …I'm not good at planning stuff like this, but if you want, I-"**

"Y-You don't have to," I cut him off. "When I'm with you, I-I prefer 'going with the flow' anyways. Naruto is that kind of person after all, right? You never could stay still when we were younger," I laughed.

I was met with silence for about a moment. **"Hinata…"**his voice was overflowing with warmth.

I kept my voice soft. "Yes?"

"**I'll text you the location tomorrow."**

"Alright."

"**And-"**

"Hn?"

"**I love you."**

I smiled. "I do too."

We both gave our partings before hanging up. Haku-san stood behind me, looking over my shoulder while glaring at the cell phone in my hand.

Ah, I somehow had a bad feeling about this.

* * *

My premonition was confirmed the next day.

"Ano…you guys r-really didn't have to come…"

"What are you talking about?" Sakura replied. "Of course we had to." She held up a fist, a look of determination on her face. "If we're not here, then we can't protect you from that blond pervert." She sneezed delicately into her hand before shivering. Sakura was always beautiful, but today, she looked even more stunning than usual.

Her soft pink hair was pulled back into a high ponytail, carefully adorned with floral-designed hair ornaments. She'd worn her red winter-coat and white scarf, but beneath it, she'd dressed up in a lacy-white top with bell-like sleeves, followed by a lacy-black camisole underneath. Around her waist was a red mini-skirt with black leggings and white tennis shoes. Although she wasn't aware of it, several men passing by either glanced at her or stopped completely to look.

Noticing that I'd been looking at her, Sakura blinked. "Something wrong?"

I shook my head. Jealousy was an ugly thing, especially towards a very good friend of mine. "N-No, it's nothing."

Coughing into his mittens, Haku-san rubbed his hands together for warmth, his teeth chattering as he spoke. "Wh-Where's that b-b-blond idiot? He has s-some n-nerve, making us w-w-wait out here in th-this kind of w-weather."

Studying Haku-san, I noticed for the first time today that he looked surprisingly feminine, more so than usual. He'd twisted his silky-brown hair into two braids with a pink hair-clip holding his bangs to the side. Underneath his pure-white jacket was a pale and pink cardigan sweater. With it, he wore a forest-green, knee-high skirt and black designer boots that I'd never seen before.

He looked absolutely adorable, like a doll almost. Middle-aged men passing by were blushing and gulping as they stared after Haku-san, their desires obvious, or so I liked to think. A short fantasy occurred inside my mind before I finally decided to shake my head and rid myself of my unhealthy obsession.

_I really need to stop that_…

Noticing that I'd been looking at him, Haku-san blushed. "Wh-What is it?"

I smiled. "You look really cute today."

Had it been possible, I could've sworn that steam had come out of his ears. "Th-Thanks…"

Turning away from Haku-san, I looked over to Uchiha-san. With his arms crossed, he leaned against the brick-wall building behind us, a coffee shop with customers inside. Several of them were craning their necks to get a look at Uchiha-san, who in turn hadn't noticed any of them.

My roommate was biologically born a male, but the fact remained that even outside academy grounds, it was better to take precautions and stay dressed as a female. There was a high risk of running into fellow students outside of school, and with Uchiha-san's particular face structure, the possibility of him being noticed, male or female was very high either way.

Female was basically the safest choice, which had led Haku-san into picking Uchiha-san's outfit for him. The latter had been anything but pleased.

I had no idea what it was about blue and black, but the colors looked absolutely amazing on him. From head-to-toe, Uchiha-san could've easily passed himself off as a model.

His dark hair was done up in a messy, yet stylish bun, with several loose strands falling from it. His dark-blue jacket trimmed with black fur around the hood and hem fell just below his waist. The silky charcoal-gray dress he wore was visible beneath the hem of his jacket, showing off his long legs clad in thigh-high black boots with white lace going down the front in a pattern of X's.

It was no wonder people were gawking at him. He looked absolutely amazing!

Noticing that I'd been looking at him, Uchiha-san raised a brow. "What?"

_If I tell him that I think he's beautiful, he might get angry_. So instead, I settled for "The weather's beautiful today, isn't it?"

He pinched his nose, which was a bit red from the cold. "Are you crazy? It's freezing out here." He shivered and wrapped his arms around himself this time. "Dammit, I knew I should've worn pants instead…" he muttered. "Stupid transvestite."

Stepping over to him, I unwrapped my pale-blue scarf from around my neck and slipped it over his trembling shoulders instead. He seemed a bit surprised as he looked down at me, his dark eyes capturing my own. Reaching up, I brushed aside a loose strand of hair hanging over his face. I paused, taking in his current appearance while matching it with his true image. My eyes roamed over the smoothness of his facial features. For a boy, he certainly had nice skin, almost as nice as Neji nii-san's. Had he gotten taller again? I was startled when his voice suddenly cut through my thoughts.

"Oi, what did you do that for?" a slight frown etched his features.

"You're cold, aren't you?"

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean that you should give me your scarf."

"I don't mind. Besides, I don't want you to get sick." Reaching into my pockets, I pulled out a pair of light-blue mittens and placed them into his hands. His long and slender fingers felt like ice. "It must've been hard to refuse him, ne? But then again, it's always hard to say no to someone you're close to." I could already imagine Haku-san forcing Uchiha-san to go with us. A flashback of my first date with Sai-san instantly resurfaced. Blushing at the memory, I shooed away the thoughts and continued. "You guys must be really good friends, otherwise, you wouldn't have come along with us, right?"

Uchiha-san's cheeks suddenly took on a red flush. He must've been colder than I thought he was because he suddenly shoved his hands into the pockets of his jacket. "I…I have my own reasons for coming with you guys," he muttered.

It had been low, but I'd heard it. "What do you mean?"

He turned his head to the left. "N-Never mind."

Smiling, I picked up both ends of the scarf and began wrapping it carefully around his neck for him. The back of my fingers brushed lightly against his cheek, and in that instant, Uchiha-san immediately took a step back, his face completely red.

"Um, wh-what's wrong-?"

"OI! SORRY WE'RE LATE!!!"

Turning around at the sound of his melodic voice, my eyes widened at Naruto's appearance.

As a child, he'd always loved and been fascinated by the color, orange. I, for one, found the color to be very bright, but in Naruto's case, it worked quite well.

His usually spiked up hair was kept down, with soft, golden locks framing his naturally tanned face. An orange and wool, fox-shaped hat with ears sat on his head. He wore an orange jacket with a hooded white-fur trimming. His faded-blue jeans were slightly loose over his long legs, and covering his feet were a pair of white and blue sneakers.

He flashed me his adorable smile, the one that he had no idea made me putty in his hands. "You're not mad, are you?" He cheeks flushed red. "We kind of got lost on our way here." His blue eyes gazed at me apologetically. I was weak against him, literally.

"Ah, n-no. We were just-"

"YOU'RE DAMN RIGHT WE'RE ANGRY!" Haku-san growled. He grabbed Naruto by the front of his jacket and glared at him. "You have some nerve you bastard, making us wait out here in the cold like this." The corners of his mouth lifted up into a cruel grin. "Now, how should we kill this idiot, Sakura-chan?"

"How about something slow and painful?" Sakura suggested. She held up her fist and from the looks of it, looked ready to hit someone.

His blue eyes widened as he smiled. "Ooooh, that sounds kinky!"

Sakura and Haku-san both seemed to snap just then.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU SUGGESTING YOU PERVERT?!?!?!?!?"

"Ack! I was kidding!"

Before I could step in to intervene, a low voice suddenly spoke up.

"Oi, I'm here too, y'know."

"Ah, right." Slipping from Haku-san's grasp, Naruto walked over to the boy who'd spoken and slipped an arm around his shoulders. "This is Inuzuka Kiba, a friend of mine. He's in class 2-D with me."

They were equal in height, but the other boy had spiky brown hair and sharp eyes. A red tattoo fang ran down both sides of his face, and beneath his amused-looking smile sat canine-like fangs. I couldn't help but stare, it was the first time I'd seen such a wild looking person. Like Naruto, he'd also worn jeans, but his jacket was gray-and a lot baggier too.

"Nice to meet you, ladies," he grinned. "Ah, Naruto was right, you guys really are cute!"

Haku-san snorted. "Like we need you to tell us that."

Sakura pushed aside her bangs. "Of course we're cute!"

My heart began pounding from embarrassment. I felt like running away. The things they were saying were true, but to openly admit it in such a manner…_They're quite full of themselves_. Ah, but that was what made them so cute in the first place. Aside from their looks that is.

The wild-looking boy had an excited look on his face. He studied each of us quickly before speaking. "So, which one of you is Hinata?"

I stepped forward after hearing my name. "Y-Yes?"

Like Naruto, this boy was also very tall. Standing next to him made me feel shorter than necessary, but it was also nice in a way. I was considered to be one of the more taller girls at the academy. Noticing that I'd been the only one to move, he immediately smiled and took both my hands into his own while shaking them. He certainly wasn't shy, and I envied him for that, but his friendliness had caught me off-guard even more.

"It's really great to meet you," he grinned. He pointed at Naruto. "This guy's told me a lot about you, so much that he never shuts up in class."

"KIBA!" Naruto blushed. His reaction caused me to stifle my laugh into my hand.

"I don't mind hearing his stories, but the others are already annoyed with him. Even when he's with them, all he talks about is you."

"Kiba, I'm warning you…" Naruto threatened in a low voice.

"But then again, I don't blame him." Inuzuka-san placed his large hand on the top of my head and began to ruffle my hair with immediate affection. "You're such a cutie, it's no wonder that he'd want to brag about you."

"Prepare yourself, Kiba." Naruto cracked his knuckles before proceeding to attack the other boy.

"I was just joking man! Can't you take a joke?" he laughed, revealing his canine-like fangs.

To think that Naruto had such a friendly and energetic friend with him in class. I felt myself smiling despite the one-sided brawl going on.

"Oi." Their brawl was cut short by a sharp voice. "If you guys have the time to fight like the idiots you are, then let's make this thing quick and get it over with. I wanna go home."

Inuzuka-san froze and studied Uchiha-san before walking over to him. "Is that an invitation?" he smirked. And for some reason, he really reminded me of Naruto.

I could tell from the look on Uchiha-san's face that he was about to punch in the other boys' face.

While quickly trying to change the subject, I grabbed Uchiha-san by his arm and led him a few feet away from Inuzuka-san before voicing aloud my suggestion. "W-Why don't we go to the movies first? I heard from a friend of mine that a really good movie just came out recently."

There was a bit of mumbling amongst everyone before they nodded in agreement. It was decided then. We would go and see a movie first.


	28. End of the Day

**A/N: Wow, it's been about, or over a year since I last updated. Sorry everyone, major writer's-block for this fanfic. But as you can see, I'm back on my feet!**

**I can understand if anyone has already dropped this story from their reading list, I don't blame you. But if anyone is STILL sticking with this story, then I whole-heartedly give you my congrats, cause that only shows how patient you are, not to mention insane while I'm at it. Lol. **

**This time, I promise to update in at least 1-2 weeks. The next update though will be _Sasuke Oniichan _since a lot of people voted it their most 'looked forward to' in my poll.**

**If you haven't voted yet, then please do. And happy reading~!**

**Oh, and BEWARE of errors.**

**

* * *

****Chapter 28: End of the Day**

The theater was more packed than I had expected it to be.

"Geez, where the hell are we going to sit at?" muttered Uchiha-san. Haku-san delivered a swift punch to his stomach while managing to let the action go unknown.

I've noted that whenever Uchiha-san is rude or swears in public, Haku-san will immediately subdue him with his 'silent fist.' My roommate groaned at the sudden impact to his chest, his pretty face twisted into an expression of intense pain.

"Ugh…"

"Oh my! Setsuna-chan, what bad manners you have!" he spoke through gritted teeth. Turning to Inuzuka-san and Naruto, Haku-san flashed them his trademark angelic smile. "Please forgive her; she's on her period right now, so she's a _little_ grumpy." He emphasized this by pinching his forefinger and thumb together.

Blushing, both boys lowered their eyes in embarrassment. The same could be said for the others boy sitting close by our group who had heard Haku-san.

Sakura, sensible as usual, pulled Haku-san to the side and whispered "Have you no shame?" with a face just as red as the boys. Judging from the look on her face, she must've been just as embarrassed for Uchiha-san as I was at the moment.

He shrugged and whispered in a defensive tone, "What do you _want_ me to tell them?"

"Something else at least!" Sakura whispered in turn with a bright-red face.

I placed a hand on both Haku-san and Sakura's shoulders, hoping to somewhat settle them down. Was it just my imagination, or did they seem on edge? However, before I could think about it any further, my eyes immediately landed on a center row of empty seats. There was enough for each of us, so sitting together wouldn't be a problem. "Um, th-there's an empty row over there," I pointed out. "Why don't we go and sit down now?"

There was a mumbling of agreement as the rest of my group followed me. What I didn't know though, was how chaotic seating arrangements could really be.

"Hey, how come you get to sit next to Hinata-chan?" Haku-san pouted while glaring at Uchiha-san, who chose to ignore him.

"Because I'd prefer it if you sat by me instead," grinned Inuzuka-san, who boldly draped an arm over Haku-san's delicate-looking shoulders. The latter, I'm sure, hurt him in a rather stealthily matter while bearing the smile of an angel on his lovely face.

"No one asked _you_," he spoke through clenched teeth.

Meanwhile, Inuzuka-san was doubled over in pain, his arms wrapped tightly around his stomach. I could only imagine what he'd done to him.

And so, the seating arrangement went like this: Inuzuka-san, Haku-san, Sakura, Uchiha-san, myself, and then Naruto.

It felt rather crowded, considering I'd never gone out with friends like this before, but I didn't mind. It was different, yet…nice at the same time.

"So what are we watching again?" Uchiha-san asked.

Before I could speak up, Naruto answered for me. "A romance of course, since Hinata can't handle horror."

"N-Naruto!" My face heated up at the mention of this. Though Uchiha-san already knew about it, it was still embarrassing to speak about out loud.

"Wait, you're kidding, right?" my roommate asked, as though he didn't believe it.

"Why not? There are only two guys after all," Naruto shrugged. "And considering the amount of _girls_ in our group, we thought something romantic would be the better choice." He suddenly flashed a grin in Uchiha-san's direction. "You like romance, don't you, _Setsuna-chan_?"

Uchiha-san glared at him before settling back in his seat with his arms crossed over the front of his chest. "Bastard," he muttered. Naruto seemed to be satisfied with this before directing his full attention to me.

"You don't mind a romantic movie, do you Hinata?"

I shook my head. It was a lot better than horror was all I had to say.

The blond suddenly stood up and took my hand into his own. "I'm thirsty, Hinata. Wanna get something to drink?"

"O-Okay."

Inuzuka-san suddenly called out to him in a rather loud voice. "Oi, Naruto, if you're getting a drink, get me something too!"

"Me too!" called Haku-san.

Sakura raised her hand as though it were her only means of communicating.

When Uchiha-san said nothing, I decided to take the initiative and ask him. "Uchiha-san, d-do you want anything?"

He looked up at Naruto, and then me before frowning. "Bottle of green tea," he muttered.

Luckily for us, we arrived just in time for the movie to start. Taking our seats, we handed out everyone's refreshments down the row. Inuzuka-san had asked for two hotdogs with hot chili and cheese on them along with a coke. I found his choice to be rather westerner-like. Haku-san had a bottle of fruit juice while Sakura sipped on her choice of an orange-flavored soda. And while Uchiha-san held his bottle of green tea, Naruto and I gulped down our bottles of water. I loved tea as much as the next Japanese person, but water was my absolute favorite, what with its simplicity and all.

"Let's hope this movie's as good as it looks," Naruto whispered.

I smiled. "You did choose it, so it should be fine."

We sat in silence as the beginning credits began to end.

The movie was rather cliché, but nonetheless, historically stunning. It took place during the Taishō era, where the young daughter of an aristocratic family met and fell in love with the son of the town's tea ceremony master. Her feelings for him, however, were never recognized by her parents since she was already engaged to someone by their decision.

The costumes and setting were absolutely beautiful. I would've given anything to wear such a vibrant and lovely-looking Taishō kimono.

The climax of the movie was when the male protagonist confessed his love to her and proposed. By the wedding scene, which was also near the end, the young girl ran away with her true love, who had stolen her from the ditched groom. The two apparently disappeared and were never heard from again. Rumors by the end of the movie, though, indicated that the couple frequently traveled around, happily married.

While the ending credits rolled, a lot of people stood up to clap, some whistling, along with many bawling tears of happiness. I looked over at Naruto who in turn grinned.

"That was pretty good, wouldn't you agree?"

I nodded.

Inuzuka-san wiped at his eyes and sniffled. "It…was a lot better than I thought it would be."

"I've seen better," Haku-san replied.

Sakura merely shrugged her shoulders. "I liked her best friend better. She should've ended up with her."

Uchiha-san yawned while standing up to stretch his arms and legs. "We're done here, right? I'm hungry, let's go and get something to eat."

* * *

Our next destination was a family restaurant that Naruto had suggested we go to as well. It was rather homey with a friendly and warm atmosphere. Waiters and waitresses ran around in their uniforms, cheerfully taking everyone's orders. The restaurant wasn't as packed as the theater had been, so finding seats weren't as troublesome this time. In the end, we chose a table by one of the larger windows. The leather upholstery was quite comfortable to sit on, compared to the seats at the theater.

A waiter approached our table a few moments after we'd settled down, cutting our individual conversations short.

"Are you ready to order?" he asked, his question directed mostly towards the 'girls' of our group. I was excluded from this of course. Uchiha-san, Haku-san, and Sakura seemed to pick up on this immediately and glared at the man.

The trio threw their orders at the waiter without a second thought. From his quick and confused scribbling, I doubted that he had even gotten half of what they'd said down on his notepad. He quickly ran away without taking the rest of our orders and into the double doors of the aromatic kitchen.

"Wha-? That asshole didn't even take our orders!" Inuzuka-san exclaimed.

Naruto was somewhat calmer about this as he raised his hand and boldly gestured for another waiter to come by. The person who approached our table this time wasn't a waiter, but a waitress. Her uniform was cute, with its buttons, cuffs, and mini-skirt.

"I'm so sorry about that," she apologized while bowing. "Have you been waiting long?"

"Yeah, no thanks to that no good waiter over there," Inuzuka-san grumbled. Naruto elbowed him.

"It's okay; we just want to order our food," he answered in response to her question.

"Of course," the waitress smiled.

I couldn't help but stare in awe at Naruto. He seemed more mature compared to how he used to be.

After taking our orders, she happily pranced away, disappearing through the double doors of the kitchen as well.

Naruto noticed my staring and grinned. "Falling for me again, Hinata?"

The blood rushed to my face instantly. "N-N-Naruto!"

Without warning, Uchiha-san suddenly stood up. He stared at the table for a while before turning around and muttering, "I'm going to the bathroom." Once he left, Naruto gave me a puzzled look, as if to ask what had just happened.

I didn't exactly have an answer to give him though since I wanted to know myself.

* * *

When the day was over, the boys had taken it upon themselves to kindly escort us back to the school grounds. Sakura left with Haku-san for the dorms first since Inuzuka-san's advances were becoming bolder by the second. And once Inuzuka-san saw that Haku-san was gone for good, he merely shrugged and waved me a goodbye before leaving as well.

With Uchiha-san standing by the school gates, I decided that quickly parting with my childhood friend was more or less a good idea, since my roommate was glaring at us with impatience.

I took a step back, hoping to end this quickly. "Today was fun."

He seemed to notice this and took a step forward. "Yeah."

I took another step backwards. "We should go out again."

He again took another step forward. "Just the two of us."

"Yes, just the two of…h-huh?"

Naruto stepped even closer this time, shortening the distance between us. He slowly reached up, as if to cup my face in his large hands. His cerulean-eyes were somewhat sad, as if something painful had just occurred to him. I was numbed by the look on his face. The face I had loved during my junior high days. My love for him was still there, just not as strong. It, however, did not change the fact that his pain instantly became my own.

"Hinata, I…"

It was through Naruto that I'd learn to show my affection physically, while holding myself back at the same time. With him, it came so naturally-my urge to reach out and hold him, comfort him. He made me want to do these things.

"Naruto…"

Before I could do this, however, a sudden flash of black suddenly appeared between us. I looked up, my eyes widening to find Uchiha-san glaring at Naruto. The blond in turn merely blinked. He was just as equally surprised.

"We need to get back to the dorms, _now_," said my irritated roommate. I looked from Uchiha-san to Naruto, and then back to Uchiha-san. What was wrong with him? Was it my imagination, or had he been acting strange the entire day?

"U-Uchiha-san-!" I didn't like this. He was being rude to Naruto!

Naruto unexpectedly spoke up then and shook his head. "No, no, he's right, Hinata. It is getting late." A forced smile appeared on his handsome face. "You guys probably should head inside right now."

My heart tore at the expression on his face. He clearly wanted to tell me something-what it was though; I had no idea, because Uchiha-san made sure of this. I never thought it possible, but for the first time, I was really upset with him.

Naruto said "Well, see ya," as he waved goodbye to us. Once the blond disappeared off school grounds, I angled my head up to direct a frown at Uchiha-san, who was getting noticeably taller.

"U-Uchiha-san, is something wrong?"

He said nothing and released his grip on me, turning around to head for the school dorms. He walked rather quickly and used, what looked like, very little effort. I had trouble keeping us with his long strides. "Uchiha-san, w-wait!"

He ignored me and continued walking up the tree-lined path. I ran to catch up with him.

I was going to get to the bottom of this.


End file.
